An abelisaurid humerus from the Upper Cretaceous of India

Abstract

The Lameta Formation (Upper Cretaceous, Maastrichtian) of India has yielded abundant fossils of abelisaurid theropods, including bones from the cranium, vertebral column, pectoral and pelvic girdles, and hindlimb. However, the forelimbs of Indian abelisaurids remain unknown. Here we describe an abelisaurid humerus from exposures of the Lameta Formation near the village of Rahioli in northwestern India. This new material exhibits derived traits that are distinctive of Abelisauridae, such as an articular head that is hemispherical in proximal view, thus establishing the specimen as the first abelisaurid humerus from India.