Megaraptor Namunhaiquii Claw Replica

$25.00

Megaraptor was described as a giant dromaeosaur, known primarily from a single claw that resembled the sickle-shaped foot claw of dromaeosaurids. The discovery of a complete front limb, showed this giant claw actually came from the first finger of the hand.

Description

Megaraptor Namunhaiquii Claw Replica measures 14 inches. Megaraptor Namunhaiquii Claw Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. Our precise claw can be used as a teaching tool, museum claw exhibit, home décor claw, or office décor claw.

Megaraptor or Megaraptor Namunhaiquii was a large theropod of the Cretaceous Period, 84 to 65 million years ago. It’s most distinguishing feature was on each hand had a 14 inch sickle-like claw on it’s thumb and the other fingers had smaller claws.

Megaraptor or Megaraptor Namunhaiquii (“giant thief”) is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived in the Turonian to Coniacian ages of the Late Cretaceous. Its fossils have been discovered in the Patagonian Portezuelo Formation of Argentina.

Initially thought to have been a giant dromaeosaur-like coelurosaur, it was classified as a neovenatorid allosauroid in previous phylogenies, but more recent phylogeny and discoveries of related megaraptoran genera has placed it as either a basal tyrannosauroid or a basal coelurosaur.

When alive, the Megaraptor or Megaraptor Namunhaiqui claw would have been sheathed in a horny, keratinous material much like our fingernails, making the claw even bigger, longer and sharper. The tail was probably used for balance and fast turning. It may have had a relatively large brain and large eyes. Megaraptor Namunhaiqui was about 25 to 26 feet long.

The hand is quite distinct from other basal tetanurans, so it was not initially clear whether Megaraptor or Megaraptor Namunhaiqui was an allosaurid, a carcharodontosaurid, a spinosauroid, or something else entirely.

Subsequent studies, as well as the identification of close relatives with similar large claws on the forelimbs, helped identify Megaraptor or Megaraptor Namunhaiqui as a highly advanced and lightly built allosauroid, and a member of the family Neovenatoridae.

More recent studies have proposed that Megaraptor or Megaraptor Namunhaiqui and its kin are actually Tyrannosauroids or Spinosauroids as opposed to Allosauroids.

A juvenile specimen described in 2014 has provided more evidence towards Megaraptor or Megaraptor Namunhaiqui being a primitive tyrannosauroid. The discovery of Gualicho indicates that Megaraptor may not be a tyrannosauroid, but either an allosauroid or basal coelurosaur.

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Additional information

Weight 1 lbs
Dimensions 14 in
Megaraptor Facts:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Clade: †Megaraptora
Family: †Megaraptoridae
Genus: †Megaraptor
Species: †M. namunhuaiquii
Binomial name: †Megaraptor namunhuaiquii
Conservation Status: Extinct