According to a new study published in the journal Plos 1, anti-biologists analyzed the fossilized archaeological sites of Alvaretsu Saurdo Dinosaur, Bonapartenykus, from Patagonia’s Allen formation. Their findings provide new insights into the body plan of Bonapartenykus and other members of the Alvaretsu Sould Dinosaur Group Patagonykinae.
Reconstruction of the personal life of Bonapartenykus in Argentina, Patagonia Allen Solitoritral Ojodea Guo area. Image credit: Abel G. MONTES.
Bonapartenykus lived in Patagonia, Argentina, about 70 million years ago during the Cretaceous period.
This dinosaur, first described in 2012, belongs to one of the most enigmatic dinosaur groups, Alvarezsauridae.
Together with another genus from Patagonia, Patagonics, Bonapartenykus forms a small group within Alvarez Sauria called Patagonykinae.
“Alvarezsauria is a group of small to medium-sized coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs that lived from the late Jurassic to the late Cretaceous,” explained Dr. Gustabo Meso, a paleontologist specializing in ancient biologist.
“Originally, the distribution of this group was limited to Asia, with the earliest known member found in China’s Oxford (late Jurassic period).”
“Early fossils of Alvarezsauria were only found in Asia but now include up to three species.”
“By the latter half of the Cretaceous period, Alvarezsauria had diversified and spread globally, with abundant fossils found in Asia, Europe, North America, and the first records in South America from the Gondwana supercontinent.”
“Patagonykinae is a subgroup of Alvarezsaurids, named after the Patagonics and Bonapartenykus.”
In their new study, Dr. Gustabo Meso and his co-author examined numerous Alvarezsaurus fossils from the Patagonia Allen layer of Solitral Ojo de Agua.
“These specimens were collected at various times without precise original locality information but are now all from the same section and layer as the holotype of the alvarezsaurid. We conducted X-ray micro-CT scans of the specimens,” mentioned Dr. Meso.
“Based on this new information and the morphological similarities of the specimens, we provisionally assign them to the genus Bonapartenykus.”
The newly described specimen provides valuable insights into the body plan of Patagonykinae, allowing for a more complete reconstruction of the neck, chest, hindlimbs, and tail.
“Our results support the idea of a single species of Alvaresaurus, but future research in the Solitral Ojo de Agua area may reveal further evidence for testing,” they added.
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JG MESO et al. 2025. New information on Bonapartenykus (Alvares Sauda: Seropododa) from the Allen layer in Rio Negro State, Patagonia, Argentina (Middle Compania Mariana) Plos 1 20 (1): e0308366; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308366
Source: www.sci.news
