Pronunciation: rin-con-rap-tuh
Meaning: Rincón de los Sauces Plunderer
Author/s: Méndez et al. (2026)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Neuquén Province, Argentina
Acta Ordinal: #1231
Rinconraptor pipoae
(Pipo's Rincón de los Sauces Plunderer)Etymology
Rinconraptor is derived from "Rincon" (for the city of Rincón de los Sauces) and the Latin "raptor" (plunderer, robber, snatcher or thief). The species epithet, pipoae, honours the late Laura Pipo, a Ph.D. student and friend who participated in the fieldwork that led to the discovery of this specimen and who suddenly passed away in 2020. ZooBank registry: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B45711F4-8B25-4E77-B27F-E14F08220170.
Discovery
The remains of Rinconraptor were discovered in the Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Río Colorado Subgroup, Neuquén Group) at Cerro Overo, 50 km southwest of Rincón de los Sauces City, Neuquén Province, Patagonia, Argentina.
The holotype (MAU-Pv-CO-659) consists of ten isolated tail vertebrae, a partial chevron, the top end of an upper arm, and the bottom end of a shin. All fossils were found in an area of 4 m², and collected during successive field seasons in 2014, 2015, 2019, 2023, and 2025.
Preparators
Technicians at Museo Municipal "Argentino Urquiza", Rincón de los Sauces.
