[D] Tsaagan mangas [sG] [T]
Describer
Norell, Clark, Turner, Makovicky, Barsbold and Rowe 2006
Time
Cretaceous Late
Classification
Saurischia Theropoda Tetanurae Coelurosauria Dromaeosauridae
Diet
Carnivore
Fossilsite
Djadochta Formation, Ukhaa Tolgod, Mongolia
Info
Tsaagan mangas, consists of a well-preserved skull and cervical series it differs from other dromaeosaurids in the possession of a straight, untwisted, and pendulous paroccipital process, a large and anteriorly located maxillary fenestra, and a jugal–squamosal contact that excludes the postorbital from the margin of the infratemporal fenestra.
Coupled with CT imaging, Tsaagan mangas provides new information on the skull and braincase anatomy of dromaeosaurids.
Type specimen
IGM 100/1015, a skull and mandible and anterior eight cervicals.
Type locality
Xanadu sublocality, Ukhaa Tolgod, Omnogov Aimag, Mongolia.
Etymology
Tsaagan, Mongolian for white; mangas, Mongolian for monster.
Diagnosis
Referred to the Dromaeosauridae on the basis of the following derived characters: caudolateral overhanging shelf of the squamosal, large spike on medial inflected process of the articular, and large quadrate foramen (Currie, 1995; Norell and Makovicky, 2004).
Differs from all other known dromaeosaurids in the following unique derived characters: paroccipital process pendulous and not twisted distally, basipterygoid process elongate and anteroventrally directed, maxillary fenestra large and located at the anterior edge of the antorbital fossa, jugal meets the squamosal to exclude the postorbital from the margin of the infratemporal fenestra. (Norell et al. , 2006)