Noasaurid remains from the Candeleros Formation at “La Buitrera” (Early Upper Cretaceous) Río Negro, Argentina

BRISSÓN EGLI, F. Y APESTEGUÍA, S.

Neuquén

Congreso; III Congreso Latinoamericano de Paleontología de Vertebrados.; 2008

CEPALB

Noasauridae is a family mainly represented by small sized theropods created by Bonaparte and Powell (1980) for Noasaurus leali. Later recognized as the sister group of Abelisauridae (Bonaparte and Novas, 1985) and included within Abelisauroidea (Novas, 1989). They are considered endemic of Gondwana and mainly know from the uppermost part of the cretaceous of Argentina, India and Madagascar. Additional material has been reported from the Early Cretaceous of Africa (Aptian of Niger) and South America (Barremian of Neuquén), supporting an early radiation of the group. Here we report a new specimen assignable to Noasauridae form the Cenomanian beds of the Candeleros Fm; Río Negro Province, at “La Buitrera” locality, adding a new representative of this still poorly known theropod clade.