Austrocheirus

southern hand

• austro- · Latin · southern (from Latin auster, 'south wind/south')
• cheir · Greek · hand

The name combines the Latin-derived "austro-" (southern) with the Greek "cheir" (hand), giving "southern hand". It refers to the animal's southern Patagonian origin and to its well-developed, non-reduced hand, which was notable because many related theropods had greatly shortened forelimbs.

Named by

Ezcurra, Agnolín and Novas

Year named

2010

Period

Late Cretaceous

Found in

Pari Aike Formation, Santa Cruz Province, Patagonia, Argentina

Known from fragmentary remains; the type species is Austrocheirus isensi. It was originally described as a basal abelisauroid/ceratosaur, but its exact position within Theropoda is debated, and some later studies have suggested it may be related to megaraptorans. Exact stage dating of the Pari Aike Formation is uncertain, so stages are left blank.