Alpkarakush
| Key | Value |
|---|---|
| Name Meaning | “Alpkarakush” |
| Location | Kyrgyzstan |
| Time Period | c. 165 million years ago (Middle Jurassic) |
| Length | 26 ft (8 m) |
| Weight | 3 tons (2,700 kg) |
| Locomotion | Biped |
| Diet | Carnivore |
| Described | 2024 (Rauhut et al.) |
| Geological Formation(s) | Balabansai |
| Valid Species | Alpkarakush kyrgyzicus (type) |
Phylogeny: Dinosauria > Saurischia > Theropoda > Neotheropoda > Tetanurae > Avetheropoda > Carnosauria > Allosauroidea > Metriacanthosauridae > Metriacanthosaurinae
Overview: Alpkarakush was probably the top predator of its own local region, some one hundred and sixty-five million years ago. Growing to be eight or so meters long and weighing up to a few tons, it was decently large and probably powerful enough to take on some larger herbivores and those with armor. Alpkarakush fossils are known from the Balabansai Formation, in what is now the nation of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. It’s one of the very few dinosaurs described from the Balabansai, though remains of sauropods and early stegosaurs show it lived among a variety of different taxa. Both types of animals were potential sources of prey. Described in 2024, Alpkarakush takes its generic name from that of a giant bird, most famously appearing in the Epic of Manas – an epic poem kept and shared among the Kyrgyz people for at least the past millennia. While a theropod, Alpkarakush itself wasn’t particularly closely related to actual birds.
Some of the fossils described so far from Alpkarakush include its pelvis, most of the legs, some finger bones, vertebrae, ribs and parts of the skull. Much of its torso and arms have yet to be described and the tail, so far, is entirely missing. Still, we have enough to get an idea as to how it would’ve appeared in life, as well as to how it should be classified. Alpkarakush was an allosauroid theropod belonging to the family Metriacanthosauridae. Metriacanthosaurids were a group of apex predators, mainly from Asia and Europe, which saw their peak of success during the Middle to Late Jurassic. They often had short, but very deep snouts, as we can see with Alpkarakush itself. Its arms were short, but probably fairly strong, bearing three digits on each hand. Metriacanthosaurids often had low crests of bone running along their snouts and over their eyes, which were particularly prominent on Alpkarakush, giving it a very distinct appearance.