Variraptor

File:Variraptor mechinorum1.JPG

Between 1992 and 1995 amateur paleontologists Patrick Méchin and Annie Méchin-Salessy uncovered the remains of a small theropod in the Grès à Reptiles Formation (Campanian-Maastrichtian) at La Bastide Neuve, near Fox-Amphoux. The first finds were in 1992 assigned to the theropod genus Elopteryx.{{cite journal |last1=Le Loeuff |first1=J. |last2=Buffetaut |first2=E. |last3=Mechin |first3=P. |last4=Mechin-Salessy |first4=A. |year=1992 |title=The first record of dromaeosaurid dinosaurs (Saurischia, Theropoda) in the Maastrichtian of southern Europe: palaeobiogeographical implications |journal=Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France |volume=163 |pages=337–343 |url=https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/sgf/bsgf/article-abstract/163/3/337/122587/The-first-record-of-dromaesaurid-dinosaurs}} A second article, in 1997, concluded they represented a new species.{{Cite journal |last1=Buffetaut |first1=E. |last2=Le Loeuff |first2=J. |last3=Cavin |first3=L. |last4=Duffaud |first4=S. |last5=Gheerbrant |first5=E. |last6=Laurent |first6=Y. |last7=Martin |first7=M. |last8=Rage |first8=J.-C. |last9=Tong |first9=H. |last10=Vasse |first10=D. |year=1997 |title=Les vertébrés continentaux du Crétacé supérieur du Sud de la France: un aperçu sur des découvertes récentes |journal=Geobios |volume=30 |issue=supp. 1 |pages=101–108 |doi=10.1016/S0016-6995(97)80015-0|url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/14835/files/PAL_E1965.pdf }} In 1998 this was named by Jean Le Loeuff and Eric Buffetaut as the type species Variraptor mechinorum. The generic name is derived from Latin Varus, referring to the Var River in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence region of southern France, and raptor meaning "thief". The specific name honours the Méchin couple.{{cite journal |last1=Le Loeuff |first1=J. |last2=Buffetaut |first2=E. |year=1998 |title=A new dromaeosaurid theropod from the Upper Cretaceous of Southern France |journal=Oryctos |volume=1 |pages=105–112 |url=http://www.dinosauria.org/documents/2002/le_loeuff_buffetaut_1998_oryctos1_105-112.pdf}}

The genus is based on three type specimens: a posterior dorsal vertebra (MDE-D168), a sacrum (MDE-D169) with five fused vertebrae, and an ilium (CM-645). The specimens are part of the collection of the Musée des Dinosaures d'Espéraza and the private Collection Méchin. Additional referred material includes a right humerus (MDE-D158) with a well-developed deltopectoral crest, suggesting a raptorial function for the forearm. Other attributed bones include a femur and various vertebrae.{{cite journal | last1 = Turner | first1 = A.H. | last2 = Makovicky | first2 = P.J. | last3 = Norell | first3 = M.A. | title = A review of dromaeosaurid systematics and paravian phylogeny | doi = 10.1206/748.1 | journal = Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History | volume = 371 | pages = 1–206 | year = 2012 | hdl = 2246/6352 | s2cid = 83572446 | url = https://zenodo.org/record/5399588 }}

File:Variraptor SIZE.png

File:Variraptor mechinorum reconstruction.png

The incomplete remains have dromaeosaurid features in the shape of the vertebrae and the humerus, with some resemblances to Deinonychus.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}}

Le Loeuff and Buffetaut described Variraptor as a maniraptoran theropod, a member of the Dromaeosauridae. In 2000, Ronan Allain and Philippe Taquet named a second small theropod from the same layers: Pyroraptor. They also claimed that Variraptor was a nomen dubium because the type lacked any single diagnostic trait.{{cite journal |last1=Allain |first1=R. |last2=Taquet |first2=P. |year=2000 |title=A new genus of Dromaeosauridae (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of France |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=20 |issue=2 |pages=404–407 |doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2000)020[0404:ANGODD]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=85651716 }} In the same year, Oliver Rauhut was also doubtful of the classification of Variraptor as a dromaeosaurid and assigned it to the more inclusive Coelurosauria.{{cite thesis |last=Rauhut |first=O.W.M. |year=2000 |title=The interrelationships and evolution of basal theropods (Dinosauria, Saurischia) |type=PhD dissertation |institution=University of Bristol}}

In 2003, Allain and Pereda-Suberbiola considered Pyroraptor as the only diagnostic dromaeosaur of France and doubted the identity of Variraptor as a dromaeosaurid. They also questioned the associations of the referred materials, pointing out that the cervicodorsal vertebra referred to this genus is almost indistinguishable from that of Chirostenotes, a caenagnathid theropod. Thus, they concluded that Variraptor is probably a chimaera and a nomen dubium.{{cite journal|first1=Ronan|last1=Allain|first2=Xabier|last2=Pereda-Suberbiola|year=2003|title=Dinosaurs of France|journal=Comptes Rendus Palevol|volume=2|issue=1|pages=27–44|doi=10.1016/S1631-0683(03)00002-2|bibcode=2003CRPal...2...27A }} In 2004, Mark Norell and Peter Makovicky suggested that the specimens of Variraptor show no unambiguous diagnostic features of dromaeosaurids, and that more specimens are required for confirmation of the taxon's identity.{{cite book|last1=Norell|first1=M. A.|last2=Makovicky|first2=P. J.|year=2004|chapter=Dromaeosauridae|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vtZFDb_iw40C&pg=PA196|editor1-last=Weishampel|editor1-first=D. B.|editor2-last=Dodson|editor2-first=P.|editor3-last=Osmólska|editor3-first=H.|title=The Dinosauria|edition=2nd|pages=208|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520941434}}

In 2009, Buffetaut and Phomphen Chanthasit defended the validity of Variraptor against Allain and Taquet (2000), arguing the type had a unique combination of traits. The lack of overlapping parts would make it impossible to establish whether Pyroraptor was a junior subjective synonym but the presence of two different types of ulna in the southern French dromaeosaurid material would indicate two separate species.{{cite journal |last1=Chanthasit |first1=P. |last2=Buffetaut |first2=E. |year=2009 |title=New data on the Dromaeosauridae (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of southern France |journal=Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France |volume=180 |issue=2 |pages=145–154 |doi=10.2113/gssgfbull.180.2.145}} However, the authors did not refute the aforementioned claim of Allain and Pereda-Suberbiola (2003). In their 2012 review of dromaeosaurid systematics, Alan Turner, Peter Makovicky and Mark Norell supported the conclusion by Allain and Taquet (2000).

In a 2019 study describing the troodontid Hesperornithoides, Variraptor has been included in a phylogenetic analysis where it was recovered as the sister taxon of Bambiraptor, within an expanded Microraptoria. However, the authors of this study stated that a position within the Unenlagiidae was also possible, only requiring three extra steps in their matrix.{{Cite journal|last1=Hartman|first1=Scott|last2=Mortimer|first2=Mickey|last3=Wahl|first3=William R.|last4=Lomax|first4=Dean R.|last5=Lippincott|first5=Jessica|last6=Lovelace|first6=David M.|date=2019-07-10|title=A new paravian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of North America supports a late acquisition of avian flight|journal=PeerJ|volume=7|pages=e7247|doi=10.7717/peerj.7247|issn=2167-8359|pmc=6626525|pmid=31333906 |doi-access=free }} In a 2022 study describing halszkaraptorine Natovenator, phylogenetic analyses recovered Variraptor within Unenlagiinae.{{Cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=Sungjin |last2=Lee |first2=Yuong-Nam |last3=Currie |first3=Philip J. |last4=Sissons |first4=Robin |last5=Park |first5=Jin-Young |last6=Kim |first6=Su-Hwan |last7=Barsbold |first7=Rinchen |last8=Tsogtbaatar |first8=Khishigjav |date=2022|title=A non-avian dinosaur with a streamlined body exhibits potential adaptations for swimming |journal=Communications Biology |language=en |volume=5 |issue=1 |page=1185 |doi=10.1038/s42003-022-04119-9|doi-access=free |pmid=36456823 |issn=2399-3642|pmc=9715538 }} In 2023, assuming that Variraptor and Pyroraptor may be valid different species, both have been recovered as dromaeosaurs, though their phylogenetic affinites and those of other deinonychosaurian theropods except for Balaur bondoc were not well established.{{Cite journal |last1=Malafaia |first1=Elisabete |last2=Escaso |first2=Fernando |last3=Coria |first3=Rodolfo A. |last4=Ortega |first4=Francisco |date=2023-01-19 |title=An Eudromaeosaurian Theropod from Lo Hueco (Upper Cretaceous. Central Spain) |journal=Diversity |language=en |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=141 |doi=10.3390/d15020141 |issn=1424-2818|doi-access=free |bibcode=2023Diver..15..141M }}

{{Portal|Dinosaurs}}

• Timeline of dromaeosaurid research

{{Reflist}}

{{Dromaeosauridae}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1193954}}

Category:Paraves

Category:Dinosaur genera

Category:Maastrichtian dinosaurs

Category:Taxa named by Éric Buffetaut

Category:Fossil taxa described in 1998

Category:Dinosaurs of France