Dinosaurs A to Z
Noasauridae

Austrocheirus isasii

Generic theropod body-plan outline
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Austrocheirus 6.5 m (21.3 ft) long
as long as 4 people standing fingertip to fingertip
generic theropod body plan, scaled to length — not a silhouette of Austrocheirus
Length
6.5 m (21.3 ft)
Period
Late Cretaceous (76–70 Mya)
Place
Argentina
Food
Carnivore
Clade
Noasauridae

Austrocheirus is an extinct genus of theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. It was named and described by Martin Ezcurra, Federico Agnolin and Fernando Novas in 2010. It contains the type species Austrocheirus isasii. The generic name means “southern hand”. The specific epithet honours discoverer and preparator Marcelo Pablo Isasi.

The fossils were found on 17 March 2002 in the Pari Aike Formation, dating from the Campanian to Maastrichtian. These fossils consist of a partial manus (hand), a tibia, axial bones, and a foot bone.

What we know

  • Named by Ezcurra et al., 2010.
  • Body length estimated at about 6.5 m.
  • Fossils found in Argentina.

What we guess

The reconstruction notes for Austrocheirus — soft tissue, color, behavior — haven't been written up yet. Only the recorded basics above are filled in so far.