A newly identified dinosaur from Argentina ate fish and belonged to a family of raptors previously known only from China. The fossil, found in Patagonia, suggests these predators once roamed across two continents separated by oceans.
A raptor that preferred seafood
The dinosaur, named Diuqin lechiguanae, was a unenlagiine, a type of raptor with a long, low skull and teeth suited for catching fish. It lived about 70 million years ago in what is now Argentina. The fossil includes parts of the spine, upper arm, and lower leg. Researchers say the bones show features that link it closely to unenlagiines found in China, such as the species Austroraptor. This connection hints that these fish eating raptors may have spread across the ancient supercontinent Gondwana before it broke apart.
Why local scientists took notice
Paleontologists from Argentina and China worked together on the study. The discovery matters to local researchers because it fills a gap in the fossil record of South America. Unenlagiines were already known from the Southern Hemisphere, but this find strengthens the idea that they were more widespread than previously thought. The team also noted that the fossil showed signs of scavenging, possibly by a large crocodile relative or a mammal, adding a layer of ancient drama to the scene.
What the bones reveal
The fossil was unearthed in the Bajo de la Carpa Formation in northern Patagonia. The site is rich in Cretaceous period remains. The dinosaur's arm bones suggest it had a strong grip, useful for catching slippery prey. Its leg bones indicate it was a swift runner. Together, these traits paint a picture of a nimble predator that hunted along ancient waterways. The discovery also supports the idea that unenlagiines were not closely related to the famous Velociraptor, but instead belonged to a separate branch of the raptor family tree.
This fossil is one more piece of evidence that the prehistoric world was more connected than maps of today suggest. The same kinds of dinosaurs once lived in places now separated by thousands of miles of ocean. For scientists in Argentina, each new bone adds detail to a story that links their country's ancient past to distant lands like China.
