Adasaurus

Adasaurus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous,
~70–68 Ma
Reconstructed skull from the holotype
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Family: Dromaeosauridae
Clade: Eudromaeosauria
Subfamily: Velociraptorinae
Genus: Adasaurus
Barsbold, 1983
Type species
Adasaurus mongoliensis
Barsbold, 1983

Adasaurus (/ˌɑːdəˈsɔːrəs/ AH-də-SOR-əs; meaning "evil lizard"[1]) is a genus of dromaeosaurid dinosaur that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous period about 70 million years ago. The genus is known from two partial specimens found in the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia that were partially described in 1983 by the paleontologist Rinchen Barsbold.

Adasaurus was a large dromaeosaurid that was about 2.39–3.5 m (7.8–11.5 ft) long weighing 36.4–87 kg (80–192 lb). Unlike other dromaeosaurids, Adasaurus developed a rather small and blunt sickle claw that likely had a reduced use, and a recurved lacrimal bone; this latter trait is also shared with Austroraptor. Though reduced, the sickle claw retained the characteristic rounded articulation of most dromaeosaurids.

Adasaurus was originally regarded as a dromaeosaurine by Barsbold, a group that includes robust dromaeosaurs with deep jaws. Revisions made to the specimens have showed that this dromaeosaurid belongs to the Velociraptorinae, composed of more lightly-built animals like Velociraptor.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Barsbold1983 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).