Patagonian Dinosaur Kank australis Hint at Ancient Fishing Dinosaurs
Argentine paleontologists describe Kank australis, a new unenlagiid theropod from the Late Cretaceous Chorrillo Formation near El Calafate, about 70 million years old and roughly 2.5–3 m long. Its neck musculature and sharp ridged teeth, plus a pronounced second-toe claw, suggest an active fish-eating lifestyle in riverine wetlands alongside fish fossils and other fauna. The find bridges unenlagiids across southern Patagonia, Antarctica, and northern Patagonia. Initial remains were found in 2018, with a key cervical vertebra identified in 2024 confirming a new species; the study was published online May 28, 2026 in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.