Austroraptor [SEP] parent taxon
.
A cladistic analysis of the specimen's anatomical features by the describers placed "Austroraptor" within the subfamily Unenlagiinae of the Dromaeosauridae. This assignment was based on characteristics observed in the bones of the skull, the teeth, and the geometry and formation of the specimen's vertebral elements. It was determined that "Austroraptor" was a close relative of the unenlagiine dromaeosaur "Buitreraptor", with which it shares certain derived characteristics of the neck vertebrae.
The following cladogram is based on the phylogenetic analysis conducted by Turner,
Makovicky and Norell in 2012, showing the relationships of "Austroraptor" among the other genera assigned to the taxon Unenlagiinae:
Paleoecology.
The specimen was found in terrestrial sediments that were deposited during the Maastrichtian stage of the Cretaceous period, approximately 70 million years ago.
"Austroraptor" shared its paleoenvironment with early mammals, pterosaurs and the titanosaurids "Saltasaurus" and "Rocasaurus", which may have served as prey for this dromaeosaur.
See also.
- Timeline of dromaeosaurid research
- Known pieces from