Austroraptor Skull Composite

Recently, the large unenlagiine Austroraptor cabazai has given a peculiar focus on some adaptations of the jaws normally found in other, unrelated theropods.

With short, numerous teeth lacking serrations and with fine striations on the crowns, a long and low maxilla with short lateral exposure of the antorbital fossa, and a cranially curving preorbital bar, this skull reminded many of spinosaurids when it was first unveiled in 2006's SVP in Denver. However, it clearly is related to Buitreraptor, only much, much larger -- [link]