New Data on Late Cretaceous Theropods from the Bostobe Formation of Northeastern Aral Sea Region (Kazakhstan)

Abstract

Abstract: Two isolated metatarsals (III and IV) of theropod dinosaurs from the Bostobe Formation (Upper Cretaceous, Santonian–Campanian) of the Shakh-Shakh locality in Kazakhstan are assigned to the representatives of the families Caenagnathidae and Dromaeosauridae, respectively. The metatarsal III of Caena-gnathidae indet. confirms the presence of oviraptorosaurs in the dinosaur assemblage from the Bostobe Formation. This bone is very similar morphologically with the metatarsal III of Elmisaurus rarus Osmólska, 1981 from the Maastrichtian of Mongolia. The metatarsal IV of Dromaeosauridae indet. is characterized by a lateral crest, which among dromaeosaurids is known only for Velociraptor mongoliensis Osborn, 1924 from the Campanian of Mongolia.