Hulsanpes

Hulsanpes (meaning "Khulsan foot") is a genus of halszkaraptorine theropod dinosaurs that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now the Barun Goyot Formation of Mongolia, about 75-72 million years ago.

Twelve years later, the type species, Hulsanpes perlei, was named and described by the Polish palaeontologist Halszka Osmólska in 1982.

Hulsanpes is based on the holotype fossil specimen ZPAL MgD-I/173, uncovered in a sandstone layer of the Barun Goyot Formation, dating from the Late Campanian (roughly 72 million years ago).

It consists of a partial braincase fragment and the right metatarsus composed by the second, third and fourth metatarsals and three pedal phalanges from an apparently immature individual.

[1] Although its juvenile nature is reminiscent of a miniature individual of Velociraptor, and though these traits are plesiomorphic, it might still belong to another, non-avian, maniraptoran lineage besides Dromaeosauridae.

Graciliraptor Microraptor Sinornithosaurus Hesperonychus Bambiraptor Tianyuraptor Achillobator Utahraptor Dromaeosaurus Adasaurus Deinonychus Saurornitholestes Velociraptor Tsaagan Linheraptor Hulsanpes has been re-classified as a halszkaraptorine taxon, updating various aspects about the life-style of these animals.

Hulsanpes had a similar life-style to those of the modern-day sawbills or waterfowls, spending most of their time in aquatic environments (such as rivers) using fore and hindlimb-assisted swimming.

[6][7] However, it appears to be that Hulsanpes may have been more terrestrial based on the holotype metatarsus, which features adaptations for a more subcursorial life-style, supporting the diversification within this subfamily.

Right partial wall of the braincase
Artist's reconstruction of Hulsanpes running
Right metatarsus and phalanx of metatarsal III in articulation
First and second phalanges of metatarsal II