Pronunciation:
Meaning: Graceful thief
Author/s: Xu and Wang (2004)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Liaoning, China
Discovery Chart Position: #537
Graciliraptor lujiatunensis
(Slender Plunderer from Lujiatun)Etymology
Graciliraptor is derived from the Latin "gracilis" (slender) because of its slender build, and "raptor" (plunderer), which is a common suffix for dromaeosaurid dinosaurs.
The species epithet, lujiatunensis, means "from Lujiatun" in Latin, in reference to the village close to where the specimen was discovered.
Discovery
The remains of Graciliraptor were discovered in the Yixian Formation near Lujiatun Village, Beipiao City, western Liaoning Province,
China by ?who? in ?when.
The holotype (IVPP V 13474) is a fragmentary left upper jaw bone with some teeth, ten tail vertebrae, an almost complete pair of forelimbs, and partial hindlimbs.
