Balaur bondoc is a species of paravian theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period, found in what is now Romania. Its name comes from Romanian folklore, in which balaur means dragon and bondoc means stocky, referring to the animal robust build. The genus was first described in August 2010, based on two partial skeletons recovered from Cretaceous rock formations in Romania that correspond to Hațeg Island, an ancient subtropical island in the Tethys Sea about 70 million years ago, nicknamed the Island of the Dwarf Dinosaurs for its many small-bodied species. Balaur shows a reduction in flight capacity similar to modern flightless birds such as ratites and extinct species like the moa and dodo, and its classification is debated, with researchers proposing it as either a basal avialan or a member of Velociraptorinae or Unenlagiinae.
Facts
Scientific Name Conservation Status Classification
System (Realm) Comparison
CITES Appendix Connections
Child Taxon Of
Chordata, Taxa Source GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Balaur bondoc
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Balaur bondoc (Wikipedia)
Introduction
Balaur may have been a basal avialan, a group that includes modern birds based on phylogenetic analysis, though some researchers still include the genus within Velociraptorinae as its original description or alternatively within Unenlagiinae. This reduction in flight capacity is also seen in extant island birds including the ratites and insular barn owls as well as the extinct moa of New Zealand and the extinct dodo of Mauritius.
Introduction
The genus, which was first described by scientists in August 2010, is known from two partial skeletons (including the type specimen). Some researchers suggest that the taxon might represent a junior synonym of Elopteryx. Fossils of Balaur were found in the Densuș-Ciula and Sebeș Formations of Cretaceous Romania which correspond to Hațeg Island, a subtropical island in the European archipelago of the Tethys sea approximately 70 million years ago.
- Wikidata Q132853 (P225 taxon name)
View the Source2. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Animalia
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 23Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 23
"cites_listing":"I/II/III/NC","eu_listing":"A/B/C/D/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":null,"class":null,"order":null,"family":null},"synonyms":[],"common_names":[{"name":"Animals","language":"EN"},{"name":"Fauna","language":"EN"},{"name":"Animaux","language":"FR"}],"cites_listings":[]
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Balaur bondoc
GBIF Backbone TaxonomyChild Taxon Of: Chordata, Taxon recordQuote, Child Taxon Of: Chordata, Taxon record
"phylum": "Chordata"
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.