This Newly Discovered Raptor May Have Hunted Like a Giant Heron
Its neck anatomy and fish fossils suggest the 70-million-year-old raptor struck prey in shallow water like a heron.
- Paleontologists led by Dr. Matías Motta of the Bernardino Rivadavia Natural Sciences Museum identified a new raptor-like dinosaur species, Kank australis, from southern Patagonia, with findings published on May 28 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
- About 70 million years ago, Kank waded through humid, meandering streams and seasonal ponds, using its elongated snout and specialized, ridge-lined teeth to snap up fish like a modern heron, according to Motta.
- Kank's cervical vertebrae possess structures for muscle attachment and blood vessel protection seen in modern herons, suggesting active fishing. "This suggests Kank may have been an active fisher, contrasting with common portrayal of raptors as agile terrestrial predators, like Velociraptor from the Northern Hemisphere," Dr. Motta explains.
- Initially discovered in 2018 at La Anita farm near El Calafate, Kank was identified as a new species after a beautifully preserved cervical vertebra was recovered in 2024, enabling formal recognition of the unenlagiine dinosaur.
- Kank bridges a distributional gap for Late Cretaceous dinosaurs between northern Patagonia and Antarctica, though it shared its ecosystem with Maip macrothorax, a megaraptorid stretching over 10 meters that may have preyed upon it.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Science Daily
ecotopical.comThis newly discovered raptor may have hunted like a giant heron
A newly discovered raptor-like dinosaur from Patagonia is changing how scientists think about ancient predators. Named Kank australis, the 70-million-year-old dinosaur appears to have hunted fish much like modern herons, using a long, flexible neck and specialized vertebrae adapted for swift, precise movements.
Heron-like, fish-eating dinosaur from 70 million years ago discovered in Argentina
A new raptor-like dinosaur from some 70 million years ago that ate fish and behaved like modern herons has been unearthed from southern Patagonia. The new species, which has been named Kank australis, was identified based on the discovery of fossil remains including teeth, vertebrae, and toe bones.
They called it Kank australis. Its fossil remains were in Santa Cruz and were studied by scientists from Argentina and Japan. Why the finding changes what was known about the distribution of kidnapping dinosaurs in the southern hemisphere
70-million-year-old heron-like raptor dinosaur discovered in Patagonia
Think of a raptor dinosaur, and your mind likely conjures a terrifying image. You picture an agile, terrestrial monster sprinting through the Cretaceous brush, flashing serrated teeth and a sickle-shaped toe claw designed to tear land animals apart. But a spectacular new fossil discovery from the wind-swept plains of southern Patagonia is shattering that stereotype. Time to introduce Kank australis. This 70-million-year-old predator didn’t stal…
This 70-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Looked Like a Raptor, but May Have Fished Like a Heron
Learn how Kank australis, a newly described raptor-like dinosaur from Patagonia, may have used its flexible neck, sharp teeth, and wetland habitat to hunt more like a heron than a raptor.
The fossil remains were in the province of Santa Cruz. Scientists in Argentina and Japan estimate that he lived in southern Patagonia approximately 70 million years ago, according to 'Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology'.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 83% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
