Acheroraptor temertyorum: New dinosaur suggests migration from Asia to North America during the eve of the Mesozoic Era

67 million years ago a raptor named Acheroraptor temertyorum roamed Montana’s famed Hell Creek Formation. Prior to the discovery of Acheroraptor there was little evidence that dromaeosaurids (raptors) lived in the area. Known for the longest time only from its teeth, Acheroraptor helps fill out an already rich ecosystem complete with the terrifying Tyrannosaurus, the horned Triceratops and armoured Ankylosaurus. While Acheroraptor sharpens the picture for late Cretaceous biodiversity in the region, it also raises another fascinating question. You see, Acheroraptor is more closely related to a raptor half way around the world than it is to anything in North America!

A Curious Cretaceous Migration

When palaeontologists and co-authors, David Evans, Phil Currie and Derek Larson, studied the snout of Acheroraptor, they discovered that it was seemingly related to one of the world’s most famous raptors, Velociraptor. Interestingly, Velociraptor is found in Asia, in places like China and Mongolia. This development suggests that up until the eve of the Mesozoic Era, dinosaurs were still traversing the globe, joining and altering ecosystems along the way.

A Fitting Namesake

Acheroraptor temertyorum was not only found and co described by two ROM palaeontologists, it also shares its name with two great ROM ambassadors. While “acheoraptor”, meansAcheron Plunderer, “temertyorum” is a nod toJames and Louise Temerty, incredible supporters of palaeontology at the ROM and the museum itself.

Fittingly, the Acheroraptor temertyorum specimen will be on display in the James and Louise Temerty Galleries of the Age of Dinosaur into the new year.

Palaeo Reactions!

Today we formally introduce Acheroraptor temertyorum, our newly described Hell Creek dromaeosaurid. http://t.co/XZhTGHI3eO — David Evans (@DavidEvans_ROM) December 16, 2013

Beautiful illustration of the new dromaeosaurid dinosaur Acheroraptor, by Danielle Dufault pic.twitter.com/yVv4DRYFb8 — Jon Tennant (@Protohedgehog) December 16, 2013

ROM Has a Shiny New Raptor on Display - http://t.co/Eyy3t2pEVJ #dinosaurs — Margaret E. Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) December 19, 2013

More info

Image sources

Acheroraptor temertyorum feast on a Triceratops carcass while Tyrannosaurus rex waits near by. Julius Cystoni, 2013. Acheroraptor temertyorum recreation. By Emily Willoughby, (e.deinonychus@gmail.com, emilywilloughby.com) (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons Snout and teeth of Acheroraptor temertyorum. Royal Ontario Museum, 2013.

Written by @kironcmukherjee. Last update: December 18, 2013.