The newly discovered theropod Alpkarakush kyrgyzicus fills an important gap in the biogeography and evolution of Jurassic theropods due to its unique characteristics and recovery methods of both adults and juveniles. Theropods belong to the most diverse and important large groups of dinosaurs, including the famous carnivores. Tyrannosaurus And Allosaurusand modern birds. A wide variety of theropods are known from the Mesozoic era, the age of dinosaurs.

Just as lions today are found mostly in Africa and tigers only in Asia, Allosaurusfor example, they were common in the Jurassic of North America and southwestern Europe, while similarly large metriacanthosaurs lived in China. However, there were no previously known large carnivorous Jurassic dinosaurs in the vast region between central Europe and eastern Asia.

Discovery of the Kyrgyz Alpkarakuş

Now researchers have discovered the remains of a new theropod dinosaur in Kyrgyzstan. Alpkarakus Kyrgyz marking the first theropod found in the region and filling a gap in knowledge. The first fossil remains were discovered in 2006 by Kyrgyz paleontologist Ishak Bakirov. The discovery site is in mountainous desert areas near the city of Tashkumir in western Kyrgyzstan. The Balabansai Formation sediments exposed here were deposited during the Middle Jurassic period, approximately 165 million years ago.

Excavation statistics and unique features

In various excavations between 2006 and 2023, bones of the skull, dorsal and pelvic vertebrae, shoulder girdle and parts of the forelimbs, as well as an almost complete pelvic girdle and hind limbs of a carnivorous dinosaur measuring approximately eight to nine meters in length, were found. This is a new genus and species with previously unknown characteristics.

Of particular note is the highly visible “eyebrow” on the so-called extraorbital bone, which is the skull bone behind the eye socket and suggests the presence of a horn in this area. Other unique features are found on the dorsal vertebrae and femurs.

Phylogenetic significance and biogeographic significance

Compared to a large number of other theropods, the new species appears to belong to the metriacanthosaurids, and is closely related to the large carnivorous dinosaurs of East Asia. Paleontologists suggest that metriacanthosaurids and other major theropod groups originated in Southeast Asia and spread from there to other continents via Central Asia and Europe. “Although it belongs to Alpkarakus “Although this comes as no surprise for metriacanthosaurids, this discovery fills a major gap in our knowledge of Jurassic theropods. It leads us to important new insights into the evolution and biogeography of these animals,” says Professor Oliver Rauhut from the Bavarian Collection of Paleontology and Geology (SNSB-BSPG) in Munich and first author of the study.

Age and growth analysis

Remains of a second, slightly smaller sample Alpkarakus Kyrgyz Also found at the site. Examination of the internal structure of the bones showed that the larger specimen was nearly adult, at least seventeen years old, and certainly sexually mature, while the smaller specimen was juvenile. A parent animal may have traveled with its offspring 165 million years ago.

Technological advances in paleontology

Digital photogrammetric 3D models of all relevant Alcaracush bones were also created . “These models are now available online, enabling researchers worldwide to conduct further studies and 3D print them,” says co-author Dr. Oliver Wings, director of the Natural History Museum Bamberg.

Cultural and scientific significance

It bears the name of the fossil Alpkarakus In the Kyrgyz mythological epic “Manas” a giant bird that often comes to the aid of heroes at critical moments. Proper name ” Kirghiz » It directly refers to the Kyrgyz Republic, the place of origin of the new carnivorous dinosaur. Alpkarakus Kyrgyz It could even be the first original dinosaur skeleton to be displayed in Kyrgyzstan: if enough backers are found, the original bones, along with the reconstruction, are planned to be displayed at the National History Museum in Bishkek until the necessary funding is secured.

The research is the result of scientific cooperation between the MM Adyshev Institute of Geology of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, two departments of the Bavarian Natural History Collections (the Bavarian Collection of Paleontology and Geology in Munich and the Bamberg Museum of Natural History) and the Friedenstein Gotha Foundation. The work, funded by the German Research Foundation, Journal of Zoology of the Linnean Society.