Caletodraco cottardi, a new abelisaurid theropod from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of Normandy, northern France

[VD231991]

A new European theropod-related paper:

Buffetaut, E., Tong, H., Girard, J., Hoyez, B., and Párraga, J., 2024. Caletodraco cottardi: A New Furileusaurian Abelisaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Cenomanian Chalk of Normandy (North-Western France). Fossil Studies 2 (3): 177–195. doi:10.3390/fossils2030009.

Caletodraco is the first non-avian theropod dinosaur to be described from Cenomanian-aged chalky deposits in western Europe (e.g. famous White Cliffs of Dover), considering that only a few non-avian dinosaur taxa have been described from Cenomanian-age chalky deposits in southeastern England and northern France.

[Faelrin]

Is this actually the first abelisaurid from Europe or am I forgetting any?

Remains are scrappy (to be expected I suppose), but great to one of these dinosaurs found in France.

[Torvosaurus]

I believe Genusaurus and Tarascosaurus also came from France. I believe at least one more came from Europe as well, but I'm not positive on that.

Torvo

Edit: It was Arcovenator.

[EmperorDinobot]

Most importantly, what is a furilesaur? I feel like I've missed years of reading.