New studies on the Borogovia dinosaur

New studies on the Borogovia dinosaur

Borogovia gracilicrus is a theropod dinosaur from the uppermost Cretaceous of Mongolia. It was discovered during the 1971 Polish-Mongolian paleontological expedition to the Nemegt Basin. The new paper provides a detailed restudy of the type material of B. gracilicrus, focusing especially on the morphology of its second toe. The toe of Borogovia is peculiar because it lacks the characteristic falciform (‘sickle-clawed’) ungual, a feature that is common for its relatives. The new study explores the evolution of the specialized ‘sickle-clawed’ second toe (the acquisition of what is proposed to call the ‘falciphoran condition’) of early-diverging paravians and describes the osteological features that form the condition.

Reconstruction: Borogovia attacking other dinosaur by Edyta Felcyn-Kowalska

Borogovia attacking other dinosaur

PUBLICATION — Cau, A. & D. Madzia. 2021. The phylogenetic affinities and morphological peculiarities of the bird-like dinosaur Borogovia gracilicrus from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia. PeerJ 9: e12640. doi:10.7717/peerj.12640