Imperobator: Difference between revisions
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During the time at which Imperobator lived, [[Earth]]s [[climate]] was much warmer and humid than it is today and as a result [[Antarctica]] was without [[ice]]. The [[environment]] was mainly dominated by large dense [[conifer]] forests, [[cycads]] and gingkos. Despite the warmer [[climate]], the animals inhabiting [[Antarctica]] at this time would have to endure long periods of darkness during the [[winter]], much like what happens in modern-day [[Antarctica]]. |
During the time at which Imperobator lived, [[Earth]]s [[climate]] was much warmer and humid than it is today and as a result [[Antarctica]] was without [[ice]]. The [[environment]] was mainly dominated by large dense [[conifer]] forests, [[cycads]] and gingkos. Despite the warmer [[climate]], the animals inhabiting [[Antarctica]] at this time would have to endure long periods of darkness during the [[winter]], much like what happens in modern-day [[Antarctica]]. |
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Currently a plethora of other [[extinct]] [[organisms]] from the [[Snow Hill Island Formation]] have been discovered, which are likely to of interacted with Imperobator during the |
Currently a plethora of other [[extinct]] [[organisms]] from the [[Snow Hill Island Formation]] have been discovered, which are likely to of interacted with Imperobator during the Late-[[Cretaceous]] period. This includes the [[ornithopods]] [[Trinisaura santamartaensis]] and [[Morrosaurus antarcticus]], the [[nodosaurid]] [[Antarctopelta oliveroi]], the [[shark]] [[Notidanodon]].sp as well as some intermediate [[elasmosaurids]], [[titanosaurs]] and a [[pterosaur]]. |
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Revision as of 08:13, 23 September 2020
| Imperobator Temporal range: Maastrichtian
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| Reconstructed left hind limb | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Family: | †Dromaeosauridae |
| Subfamily: | †Unenlagiinae (?) |
| Genus: | †Imperobator Ely & Case 2019[1] |
| Species: | †I. antarcticus
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| Binomial name | |
| †Imperobator antarcticus Ely & Case 2019[1]
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Imperobator ("powerful warrior") is a genus of paravian theropod that lived during the Maastrichtian stage of the Late Cretaceous period in what is now Antarctica. It contains a single species, I. antarcticus, recovered from the Snow Hill Island Formation.[1] Before its description, it was informally nicknamed the "Naze[clarification needed] dromaeosaur", despite the lack of a "sickle claw" characteristic of the group. In 2019, the describing authors suggested that Imperobator was about the same size as Utahraptor.
Discovery and naming
The only described species is represented by a single specimen (UCMP 276000) which is comprised of an incomplete isolated left pes including, a portion of the tibia, an incomplete astragalus, a partial calcaneus and fibula, as well as a ungual, partial phalanges and metacarpals. UCMP 276000 was first uncovered in 2003 within the Snow Hill Island Formation, Antarctica and was formally named 16 years later in 2019 by Ely and Case. The generic name is Latin for “Powerful Warrior“. The specific name honours the place in which it was discovered in.
The holotype specimen, UCMP 276000, was uncovered at the Early Maastrichtian aged, Cape Lamb Member of the Snow Hill Island Formation on James Ross Island, which has been aged to be 71 million years old.
Before Imperobator was officially described, a paper published within 2007 announced the specimen and assigned it the clade Dromaeosauridae and as such was nicknamed the “Naze Dromaeosaur”. This was problematic as UCMP 276000 lacked multiple characteristics of a Dromaeosaur, such as a prominent sickle claw and as such the paper naming and describing it assigned Imperobator to the clade Paraves.
Description
The holotype measures an approximate 45cm in length. From this an estimated size of 3-4 meters of the animal can be accomplished using measurements from related species such as Utahraptor. This shows that Imperobator has a not often seen trait among Paravians referred to as gigantism, which is best documented in genera such as Utahraptor, Austroraptor, Deinonychus, Dakotaraptor, etc. As mentioned, previous Imperobator has now been assigned to the clade Paraves due to certain characteristics that differ from Dromaeosauridae, which include the lack of a sickle claw, the smooth surface of the distal metatarsal II and the specimen lacks an ungual of the second pedal digit.
In life Imperobator most-likely had a sort of feathery covering on most of its body based on evidence from other Paravians. It would be also safe to assume that Imperobator was carnivorous, however weather it scavenged or hunted its prey at this stage is unclear.
Paleoecology
During the time at which Imperobator lived, Earths climate was much warmer and humid than it is today and as a result Antarctica was without ice. The environment was mainly dominated by large dense conifer forests, cycads and gingkos. Despite the warmer climate, the animals inhabiting Antarctica at this time would have to endure long periods of darkness during the winter, much like what happens in modern-day Antarctica.
Currently a plethora of other extinct organisms from the Snow Hill Island Formation have been discovered, which are likely to of interacted with Imperobator during the Late-Cretaceous period. This includes the ornithopods Trinisaura santamartaensis and Morrosaurus antarcticus, the nodosaurid Antarctopelta oliveroi, the shark Notidanodon.sp as well as some intermediate elasmosaurids, titanosaurs and a pterosaur.
References
- ^ a b c Ely, Ricardo C.; Case, Judd A. (April 2019). "Phylogeny of A New Gigantic Paravian (Theropoda; Coelurosauria; Maniraptora) From The Upper Cretaceous Of James Ross Island, Antarctica". Cretaceous Research. 101: 1–16. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2019.04.003.
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