Mahakala omnogovae

Djadokhta Formation of Ömnögovi, Mongolia. It is based on a partial skeleton found in the Gobi Desert. Mahakala was a small dromaeosaurid, and its skeleton shows features that are also found in early troodontids and avialans. Despite its late appearance, it is among the most basal dromaeosaurids. Its small size, and the small size of other basal deinonychosaurians, suggests that small size appeared before flight capability in birds. The genus is named for Mahakala, one of eight protector deities (dharmapalas) in Tibetan Buddhism

metatarsal was not compressed, suggesting that the uncompressed version was the basal version. It had a typical dromaeosaurid form of the second toe, with an expanded claw.^[1]

theropods found at the base of paravian lineages, suggest that small size was not an innovation of early birds, but a common trait of early paravians; small size would have preceded flight and would not have been a special avian autapomorphy as the result of a size squeeze. Like birds, troodontids and dromaeosaurids were not small throughout their evolutionary history, and showed size increases among several different lineages. Mahakala has a combination of characteristics found among basal troodontids and birds, but lacks some that are present in more derived dromaeosaurids.^[1] A study in 2017 found that Mahakala was a member of the enigmatic, basal subfamily Halszkaraptorinae.^[3]

predaceous carnivore.^[6] Halszkaraptorinae