Paleo File: Bagaraatan

         Bagaraatan, which is mongolian for “little hunter”, was a small carnivorous theropod dinosaur. Polish Paleontologist, Halszka Osmólska discovered the remains of the animal in the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia 1996. Although the name might seem odd, it is the phylogenetic categorization that makes this organism an oddity.

Art and Copyright belongs to Robinson Kunz

          Halska Osmólska never pursued her findings to the phylogenetic level and left it to other scientists to decide on the fragmentary remains; A Lower Mandible, the upper legs, pelvis, and caudal vertebrae. Scientists have found three possible groups the animal may belong to; Holtz suggested a Tyrannosauroid, Coria a Troodontid, and Rauhut a Maniraptoran. However, despite the differing opinions and confounding evidence, the phylogenetic grouping so far agreed upon is Tyrannosauroidea. More fossils are needed before a concrete classification can be reached, or an appropriate reconstruction of the animal in life.

Material referred to Bagaraatan

References:

"BAGARAATAN : From DinoChecker's Dinosaur Archive." Dinochecker RSS. Dinochecker, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2016. <http://www.dinochecker.com/dinosaurs/BAGARAATAN>.

"Bagaratan." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagaraatan>.

Osmolska, H. (1996). "An unusual theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Nemegt Formation of Mongolia". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 41; 1-38

"Bagaraatan." Bagaraatan. Prehistoric Wildlife, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2016. <http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/b/bagaraatan.html>.