Boreonykus
Extinct genus of dinosaurs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Boreonykus is an extinct genus of dromaeosaurid dinosaur, that lived during the Late Cretaceous in the area of present Canada.
| Boreonykus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, ~ | |
|---|---|
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| Restoration | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Family: | †Dromaeosauridae |
| Genus: | †Boreonykus Bell & Currie, 2015 |
| Type species | |
| †Boreonykus certekorum Bell & Currie, 2015 | |
Fragmentary dromaeosaurid remains were discovered in the 1980s at the Pipestone Creek site in central Alberta during excavations of a bonebed containing at least twenty-seven individuals of the ceratopsid Pachyrhinosaurus lakustai.[1] They were initially partly referred to a Saurornitholestes sp in 2001.[2]
The type species Boreonykus certekorum was named and described by Phil Bell and Philip John Currie in 2015. The genus name is a variation of "Boreonychus", "northern claw". The specific name certekorum references the Certek company, that works in the oil industry and provided financial support for the excavations.[1]
The holotype specimen of Boreonykus, TMP 1989.055.0047, was found in a layer of the Wapiti Formation in central Alberta, which dates from the late Campanian, 73.27 ± 0.25 million years ago. It consists of a right frontal bone. Fourteen loose teeth have been referred to the species, as well as several postcranial bones, perhaps of the same individual: the specimen TMP 1988.055.0129, a rear caudal vertebra; UALVP 53597, a claw of the second finger, and the specimen TMP 1986.055.0184.1, a sickle claw of the foot.[1]
A single autapomorphy, unique derived trait, was indicated: the ridges bordering the fronts of the depressions around the supratemporal fenestrae form an acute angle of 55° together, pointing to the rear.[1]
Boreonykus was, within the Dromaeosauridae, placed in the Velociraptorinae. It was seen as both an indication of faunal provincialism and a quick species turn-over rate.[1] However, in 2021, Boreonykus was recovered within the Dromaeosaurinae, restricting the distribution of velociraptorines only to Asia.[3]
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