Alpkarakush facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alpkarakush |
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| Portrait of Alpkarakush | |
| Scientific classification | |
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Alpkarakush
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kyrgyzicus
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Alpkarakush is a type of dinosaur that lived a very long time ago, during the Jurassic period. It was a large, meat-eating dinosaur, part of a group called theropods. Its fossils were found in Kyrgyzstan, a country in Central Asia. Alpkarakush means "powerful bird" in a local legend, and its full name, Alpkarakush kyrgyzicus, honors where it was discovered.
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Discovering and Naming Alpkarakush
Scientists found the first bones of Alpkarakush in Kyrgyzstan in 2005 and 2006. They were digging in a place called the Balabansai Formation. More bones were found in 2014, 2016, 2017, and even in 2023!
They found bones from at least two different Alpkarakush dinosaurs. The main set of bones, called the holotype, included parts of the skull, backbones, ribs, and most of its legs. Another set of bones, from a smaller dinosaur, is called the paratype.
All these amazing fossils are kept safe at the Institute of Geology in Kyrgyzstan. In 2024, scientists officially named this new dinosaur Alpkarakush kyrgyzicus. The name Alpkarakush comes from a powerful mythical bird in an old Kyrgyz story. The second part, kyrgyzicus, simply means "from Kyrgyzstan."
What Alpkarakush Looked Like
Alpkarakush was a large predator, meaning it hunted other animals for food. It was a type of theropod dinosaur, like T. rex. It had a tall, arched skull and fairly thin legs.
One cool feature of Alpkarakush was a bumpy ridge above its eyes. This "eyebrow" was quite noticeable and rough.
Scientists think Alpkarakush grew to be about 7 to 8 meters (23 to 26 feet) long. That's about as long as a school bus! By looking at its leg bones, scientists found that the larger Alpkarakush was at least 17 years old when it died. It was probably still growing, just very slowly. The smaller one was much younger, maybe a big teenager or a young adult.
How Alpkarakush is Related to Other Dinosaurs
Scientists use phylogenetic analyses to figure out how dinosaurs are related. They found that Alpkarakush belongs to a group called metriacanthosaurids. These were large, meat-eating dinosaurs.
The chart below, called a cladogram, shows how Alpkarakush fits into the dinosaur family tree:
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See also
In Spanish: Alpkarakush para niños
