Pronunciation:
Meaning: Pharaoh’s dawn chicken
Author/s: Atkins-Weltman et al. (2024)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: South Dakota, USA
Discovery Chart Position: #1114
Eoneophron infernalis
(Pharaoh’s dawn chicken from Hell)Etymology
Eoneophron is derived from the Greek "eo" (dawn) and "Neophron" (the genus name of the Egyptian Vulture, aka "Pharaoh’s chicken") The species epithet, infernalis, is derived from the Latin word for hell, referring to the Hell Creek Formation. ZooBank registry: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:04983B22-89BB-4818-B191-23C43A6A2703
Discovery
The remains of Eoneophron were discovered in the Hell Creek Formation, Meade County, South Dakota, USA.
The holotype (CM 96523) is a partial right hindlimb including the thigh, shin, the ankle and heel, and two metatarsals.
The fossils were initially believed to represent a juvenile Anzu wyliei, another caenagnathid from the same formation, but microscopic study revealed that the specimen was distinct and skeletally mature. Visible LAGs (lines of arrested growth) in cross sections of bone indicate that the individual was six years old when it died.
Preparators
D. Pickering
