Zanabazar junior

Zanabazar junior; Temporal range: Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	Skeletal restoration of IGM 100/1
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	Theropoda
Family:	†Troodontidae
Subfamily:	†Troodontinae
Genus:	†Zanabazar; Norell et al., 2009
Species:	†Z. junior
Binomial name
	†Zanabazar junior; (Barsbold, 1974)
Synonyms
	Saurornithoides junior Barsbold, 1974;

Zanabazar is a

derived

troodontids.

History of discovery

The holotype was discovered in 1964 from the Bügiin Tsav locality of the

vertebrae, and parts of the right hindlimb.^[2] In 2009 a review of the genus found that the support for S. junior in the same genus as S. mongoliensis was lacking. Mark Norell and colleagues re-classified the species in the new genus Zanabazar, which they named in honor of Zanabazar, the first spiritual head (Bogd Gegen) of Tibetan Buddhism in Outer Mongolia.^[1]

Description

Zanabazar were large troodontids reaching 2.3 m (7.5 ft) in length and weighing 25 kg (55 lb).^[3] They are the largest known Asian troodontids, with a skull length of 27.2 cm (272 mm). At the time of the discovery of the genus, the only other troodontids that appeared to be larger than it were specimens from Alaska,^[1] however, Latenivenatrix are now considered the largest troodontids with 3.5 m (11 ft) in length.^[4] The preserved vertebrae in IGM 100/1 are completely fused, indicating that this individual was an adult at the time of death.^[1]