Tratayenia

Say it like this: “treh-ta-YAY-nee-uh”

Tratayenia rosalesi

Tratayenia ate meat and walked on two legs. It lived in the Late Cretaceous. Bones have been found in Argentina.

Quiz me on Tratayenia

When: Late Cretaceous (Santonian) · roughly 85.7 to 83.6 million years ago
Named in: 2018 · Porfiri, J. D.; Juárez Valieri, R. D.; Santos, D. D. D.; Lamanna, M. C.
Hip height: Not established
Length: 8 m · 26 ft
Weight: Not established
Found in: Argentina · Bajo de la Carpa
Food and walking: Carnivore · Two legs
Kind: sharp-clawed runner · Theropod
Family branch: Megaraptoridae

The story in short

Tratayenia was formally named in 2018 by J. D. Porfiri and colleagues. The name honors a person tied to the fossil or its study.

Fossils referred to Tratayenia date to the Late Cretaceous (Santonian), roughly 85.7 to 83.6 million years ago. Finds come from Argentina, including the Bajo de la Carpa Formation. It was a carnivore and walked on two legs.

Published estimates put Tratayenia at a length near 8 m.

On the family tree it sits in Megaraptoridae, among the theropod dinosaurs.

Close relatives

Aerosteon

Aerosteon riocoloradensis

Late Cretaceous (Campanian) · roughly 83.6 to 72.2 million years ago

Australovenator

Australovenator wintonensis

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) · roughly 100.5 to 93.9 million years ago

Joaquinraptor

Joaquinraptor casali

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) · roughly 72.2 to 66 million years ago