Dalianraptor

Dalianraptor (meaning "Dalian thief") is a dubious, possibly chimeric, genus of theropod dinosaurs from the Jiufotang Formation of China, dating to the Early Cretaceous.^[1] It was initially believed to have been a possible dromaeosaurid before it was described in 2005.^[2]

Dalianraptor Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 120 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	Theropoda
Clade:	Paraves
Clade:	Avialae
Genus:	†Dalianraptor Gao & Liu, 2005
Species:	†D. cuhe
Binomial name
†Dalianraptor cuhe Gao & Liu, 2005

Discovery and naming

The holotype, D2139, was discovered sometime before the 2000s, when Matthew Martyniuk saw a photograph of the holotype, which was then labelled as an undescribed possible dromaeosaurid.^[2] The type, and only known species, D. cuhe, was named and described by Gao & Liu in 2005.^[1]

More recently, it is being suspected that the specimen is a chimera forged for the fossil trade,^[3] namely a Jeholornis with the arms exchanged by those of an unnamed flightless theropod.^[4][2] If the holotype is not a chimera, then the phylogenetic placement of Dalianraptor is still uncertain.^[4]

Description

Dalianraptor is very similar to the contemporary avialian Jeholornis, though it has a longer digit I (thumb-equivalent) and shorter forelimbs,^[5] which suggests it may have been flightless. It also reached about 80 centimetres (31 in) in length.