New Species of Dromaeosaurid Discovered- Shri rapax

[Prehistory Resurrection]

Link to paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2025.2530148

[Sim]

One of the authours, Andrea Cau, has posted a summary and images of the specimen here: https://theropoda.blogspot.com/2025/07/move-over-velociraptor-its-shri-rapax.html

It's a very interesting discovery, I wouldn't have expected such a huge claw on the hand of this animal.  I think dromaeosaurids really are the most diverse family of dinosaurs and this new specimen adds further support to that.

I'm surprised it's classified as a velociraptorine, the short, robust snout makes it look like a dromaeosaurine.  Also, the Djadokhta Formation has so many dromaeosaurids now, I find it fascinating to think of how they all coexisted, Velociraptor, Tsaagan, Halszkaraptor, Mahakala and now Shri...

[Prehistory Resurrection]

The state of preservation of the fossil is unbelievable... Exceptional.

[crazy8wizard]

Just so you're aware, this isn't a new genus. Shri has been around since 2021. It is a new species though.
As for the skull, it somehow got lost nearly 10 years ago right after it was scanned! I'm hoping that the scanned skull material gets some reexamination in the future because the skull of S. rapax looks so different from the (admittedly small scraps of) the skull of S. devi.

[andrewsaurus rex]

is the large hand claw similar to Dromaeosaurid toe claws in that its shape is better suited to grabbing ie using it for a handhold than slicing? 

[crazy8wizard]

is the large hand claw similar to Dromaeosaurid toe claws in that its shape is better suited to grabbing ie using it for a handhold than slicing? 

I think that it's similar to the large thumb claws in allosaurus where it's a piercing hook. I don't think that the hand claws of dromaeosaurs were ever suited for slicing.