Pronunciation: koh-RITH-o-RAP-tuhr
Meaning: Helmeted plunderer
Author/s: Lü, et al. (2017)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Jiangxi Province, China
Discovery Chart Position: #960
Corythoraptor jacobsi
Corythoraptor is the seventh oviraptorid known from Ganzhou but differs from the other six—Banji long, Jiangxisaurus ganzhouensis, Nankangia jiangxiensis, Ganzhousaurus nankangensis, Huanansaurus ganzhouensis, and Tongtianlong limosus—
—in having a tall, very thin, highly pneumatic crest or "helmet" that runs almost the entire length of its skull, a neck slightly longer than its forelimbs and fully twice the length of its back, and unusually wide nostrils.
The internal structure of its casque-like crest, and its close resemblance to that of the modern cassowary, suggest similar functions: a multipurpose tool for foraging, a resonating chamber for amplifying calls, and a visual billboard advertising fitness and mojo during mating season. Known from a single specimen that was not yet fully grown, but, at roughly eight years old, not far from maturity, Corythoraptor appears to be most closely related to Huanansaurus ganzhouensis, which also hails from the vicinity of the Ganzhou Railway Station but was described two years earlier.
—in having a tall, very thin, highly pneumatic crest or "helmet" that runs almost the entire length of its skull, a neck slightly longer than its forelimbs and fully twice the length of its back, and unusually wide nostrils.
The internal structure of its casque-like crest, and its close resemblance to that of the modern cassowary, suggest similar functions: a multipurpose tool for foraging, a resonating chamber for amplifying calls, and a visual billboard advertising fitness and mojo during mating season. Known from a single specimen that was not yet fully grown, but, at roughly eight years old, not far from maturity, Corythoraptor appears to be most closely related to Huanansaurus ganzhouensis, which also hails from the vicinity of the Ganzhou Railway Station but was described two years earlier.
(Jacobs' helmeted plunderer)Etymology
Corythoraptor is derived from Greek "koryth" (helmet; referring to its crest) and the Latin "raptor" (plunderer, snatcher, robber or thief).
The species epithet, jacobsi, honors Professor Louis L. Jacobs who mentored three of the authors (Junchang Lü, Yuong-Nam Lee and Yoshitsugu Kobayashi) when they were Ph.D. students at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA.
Discovery
The remains of Corythoraptor were discovered in the Nanxiong Formation in the vicinity of Ganzhou Railway Station, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, southern China.
The holotype (JPM-2015-001, housed at the Jinzhou Paleontological Museum, Jinzhou, Liaoning Province) is an almost complete skeleton with skull and lower jaw.
