| Bannykus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Holotype displayed in Japan in 2012 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Superfamily: | †Alvarezsauroidea |
| Genus: | †Bannykus Xuet al.,2018 |
| Type species | |
| †Bannykus wulatensis Xuet al., 2018 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Bannykus is analvarezsaur from theEarly Cretaceous of theBayin-Gobi Formation ofInner Mongolia,China. It includes one species,Bannykus wulatensis. It is large for an alvarezsaur, with an estimated weight of 24 kg based on femoral circumference.[1]
Theholotype ofBannykus wulatensis is IVPP V25026, a partially-articulated incomplete skeleton. The holotype comes from theBayin-Gobi Formation inChaoge, Wulatehouqi,Inner Mongolia,China. It was discovered in 2009 and in 2012, its remains were displayed in Japan under the unofficial name "Wulatesaurus". It was given the binomial nameBannykus wulatensis in 2018; its generic name comes from theMandarin wordBan (Chinese:半), meaning half, and theGreek wordonyx, meaning claw. This refers to thetransitional characteristics seen in this theropod. The specific name refers to Wulatehouqi (Wulate Rear Banner), the county that the holotype was found in.[1]
Bannykus, along withXiyunykus, fills a 70-million year gap in alvarezsaur evolution by exhibiting morphologies intermediate between the typical theropod forelimb ofHaplocheirus and the highly reduced forelimbs and minute teeth of Late Cretaceous alvarezsaurids.
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