Diuqin

Diuqin is an unenlagiine dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of what is now Argentina. Unenlagiines, known exclusively from South America, are usually classified as dromaeosaurs though this is sometimes debated. Like dromaeosaurs, they were covered in feathers, carnivorous, and had the large sickle-like claw on the inner toe of each foot. Unique to unenlagiines is their elongated snout, suggesting a piscivorous diet. Diuqin was a medium-sized unenlagiine, at about 4 m in length.

Stratigraphy of the Upper Cretaceous Neuquén Group (after Garrido) indicating stratigraphic positions of definitive unenlagiine taxa (modified from Gianechini and Gianechini & Apesteguía). Skeletal reconstructions to approximate scale, redrawn and/or modified from works by Scott Hartman (Buitreraptor gonzalezorum, Austroraptor cabazai), Gabriel Lio (Unenlagia comahuensis, Neuquenraptor argentinus, Unenlagia paynemili), and Jaime Headden (Pamparaptor micros, Diuqin lechiguanae), used with permission

Autapomorphies proposed for Diuqin lechiguanae gen. et sp. nov. (MUCPv 1401), with images generated from three-dimensional scans of selected bones. A–B, posteriormost (last) sacral neural arch (MUCPv 1401/1) in dorsal (A) and posterior (B) views. C, anterior caudal neural arch (MUCPv 1401/2) in dorsal view. D, left humerus (MUCPv 1401/4) in lateral view. Abbreviations: al, accessory lamina; dldpr, distolateral deltopectoral ridge; for, foramen. Scale bars equal 3 centimeters

J. D. Porfiri excavating the holotype of Diuqin lechiguanae from the Bajo de la Carpa Formation.