Mahakala

great black one (after the Buddhist deity Mahākāla)

• maha · Sanskrit · great
• kala · Sanskrit · time / black

Mahakala is named after the Buddhist deity Mahākāla, a protector figure worshipped in Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhism. The name's roots are Sanskrit, from "maha" (great) and "kala" (time or black), so it is often translated "great black one". The authors chose it as a nod to the local Mongolian Buddhist tradition. The only species is Mahakala omnogovae, and its species name refers to Ömnögovi Province, Mongolia.

Named by

Turner et al.

Year named

2007

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Campanian

Found in

Djadochta Formation, Ukhaa Tolgod, Ömnögovi Province, Mongolia

A small theropod dinosaur. It was described as a basal (early-branching) member of the dromaeosaurid group, the "raptors". Its small size helped show that dromaeosaurids became smaller before the evolution of flight in birds.