Archaeoraptor

ancient thief (ancient plunderer)

• archaios · Greek · ancient
• raptor · Latin · robber, plunderer, thief

The name combines the Greek "archaios" (ancient) with the Latin "raptor" (robber or plunderer). It was meant to suggest an ancient raptor-like creature that seemed to be a "missing link" between dinosaurs and birds. The name was coined for a fossil that turned out to be a composite fake.

Named by

Sloan

Year named

1999

Period

Early Cretaceous

Found in

Liaoning Province, China (the specimen was illegally exported and its exact origin is uncertain)

"Archaeoraptor liaoningensis" was announced in a 1999 National Geographic article, not in a peer-reviewed scientific paper. The specimen was a forgery that combined parts of more than one animal. The body appears to be the early bird Yanornis, and the tail appears to be the dromaeosaurid Microraptor. The name is generally treated as a nomen nudum and is not a valid dinosaur genus. Details of the naming and dates come from memory, so treat them with some caution.