⚠ This taxon is a local entry, absent from the Paleobiology Database. Data may be incomplete or unverified.
Genus
Valid

Infernogallus

Funston et al., 2026

Infernogallus is an extinct genus of oviraptorosaurian theropod dinosaur in the family Caenagnathidae, known from multiple localities in the Late Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation of the United States. The genus contains a single species, Infernogallus jamesi, known from a partial articulated skull and skeleton and several isolated cranial remains. With an estimated body mass of around 12 kg (26 lb), it is a small caenagnathid. The skull of the holotype specimen is the first nearly complete and articulated skull discovered for a caenagnathid. It shows a reorganization of jaw muscles that may be an adaptation for fruit eating, similar to some modern parrots but unique among non-avian theropods.

Temporal range
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
252 201 145 66 0 Ma
PBDB occurrences
0
Group
Dinosaures
Frugivore
Infernogallus
click to enlarge
Infernogallus jamesi (ROM VP 65050). Photograph (a) and line drawing (b) of ROM VP 65050. c Skeletal reconstruction of Infernogallus jamesi based on ROM VP 65050 and other eucaenagnathines (shaded areas are preserved in ROM 65050). (d) Palaeohistological thin section of the femur of ROM VP 65050, showing lines of arrested growth (arrows) and an external fundamental system indicative of advanced age and skeletal maturity. cv cervical vertebrae, dv dorsal vertebrae, efs external fundamental system, fe femur, ga gastralia, hu humerus, il ilium, ma manus, pb pubis, pp plane-polarised light, sc scapulacoracoid, sk skull, tb tibia, xp cross-polarised light. Scale bars as indicated. © G. F. Funston, T. W. Dudgeon, D. J. Simon, D. M. Dufault, C. Boyd, D. Fowler, P. J. Currie & D. C. Evans · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia
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Classification
Dinosauria Unranked clade
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Theropoda Unranked clade
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Neotheropoda Unranked clade
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Averostra Unranked clade
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Tetanurae Unranked clade
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Coelurosauria Unranked clade
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Maniraptora Unranked clade
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Oviraptorosauria Infraorder
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Caenagnathidae Family
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Infernogallus Genus
Images 11
Référence bibliographique
Publication originale
2026 Funston, G.F., Dudgeon, T.W., Simon, D.J. et al. Fruit-eating adaptations in a Late Cretaceous oviraptorosaur (Theropoda). Nat Commun (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-78343-w