Aoniraptor is an extinct type of dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 96 to 91 million years ago. This dinosaur was found in Argentina, specifically in a place called the Huincul Formation.
Aoniraptor belongs to a group called theropods, which are known for being mostly carnivorous and often bipedal. The name “Aoniraptor” comes from the Tehuelche word “Aoni,” meaning south, and the Latin word “raptor,” which means thief. The species name, Aoniraptor libertatem, includes the Latin word “libertatem,” meaning freedom, because it was discovered in the year that marked 200 years of Argentina’s independence from Spain.
The first bones of Aoniraptor were found in 2010 by a paleontologist named Matias Motta. These bones included parts of the spine, known as vertebrae, and were formally described in 2016.
Aoniraptor is believed to have been around 6 meters long, which is about 20 feet. Some scientists initially thought it might be the same as another dinosaur called Gualicho due to similar features in their bones. However, further studies showed there are enough differences to keep Aoniraptor as a separate dinosaur.
In scientific classification, Aoniraptor falls under the larger group of megaraptorans, which includes other large theropods. Aoniraptor is a unique discovery that helps scientists learn more about the diversity of dinosaurs that roamed the Earth millions of years ago.