Nemegtomaia
Encyclopedia
Nemegtomaia is a genus
of oviraptorid dinosaur
from the late Cretaceous
Period of what is now Mongolia
. The type species, Nemegtomaia barsboldi, was described by Lü, Tomida, Azuma, Dong, and Lee in 2004. Lü et al. originally called the dinosaur Nemegtia, a name which was found to have already been used for an ostracod
from the same formation (in the Nemegt Basin
). The dinosaur was therefore renamed Nemegtomaia in 2005.
Nemegtomaia is known from relatively good remains and a notably well-preserved skull. The same authors had identified this skull in 2002, as a species of Ingenia
. Despite this early misidentification, Nemegtomaia belongs to the subfamily Oviraptorinae, not Ingeniinae and may be a close relative of Citipati
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of oviraptorid dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
from the late Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
Period of what is now Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
. The type species, Nemegtomaia barsboldi, was described by Lü, Tomida, Azuma, Dong, and Lee in 2004. Lü et al. originally called the dinosaur Nemegtia, a name which was found to have already been used for an ostracod
Ostracod
Ostracoda is a class of the Crustacea, sometimes known as the seed shrimp because of their appearance. Some 65,000 species have been identified, grouped into several orders....
from the same formation (in the Nemegt Basin
Nemegt Basin
The Nemegt Basin is situated in the northwestern part of the Gobi Desert, in the Ömnögovi Province in the southern part of Mongolia. It is known locally as the valley of the dragons, since it is a source of many fossil finds, including dinosaurs, dinosaur eggs and trace fossils.The main geological...
). The dinosaur was therefore renamed Nemegtomaia in 2005.
Nemegtomaia is known from relatively good remains and a notably well-preserved skull. The same authors had identified this skull in 2002, as a species of Ingenia
Ingenia
"Ingenia" is a genus of oviraptorid theropod dinosaurs, with one known species, "Ingenia" yanshini. Fossils have been found in several Late Cretaceous-age formations of Mongolia, most prominently in the Bugin Tsav beds of the Nemegt Formation, which has also yielded the holotype of Mononykus...
. Despite this early misidentification, Nemegtomaia belongs to the subfamily Oviraptorinae, not Ingeniinae and may be a close relative of Citipati
Citipati
Citipati is a genus of oviraptorid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now Mongolia . It is one of the best-known oviraptorids, thanks to a number of well-preserved skeletons, including several specimens found in brooding positions atop nests of eggs...
.
External links
- http://www.thescelosaurus.com/oviraptorosauria.htm
- http://darrennaish.blogspot.com/2006/02/luis-rey-and-new-oviraptorosaur.html