Murusraptor barrosaensis is a theropod from the Megaraptoridae family. It was bipedal with a long snout (possibly including a crest), a long tail for balance, and arms with three clawed fingers; the thumbs having a long claw. It also had hollow bones, so it may have been quite agile for its size.
Murusraptor lived in the Late Cretaceous plains of what is now the province of Neuquén in Argentina. It is one of the more complete specimens of Megaraptor known, a group that includes species from what is now South America, Japan, and Australia; regions which were separated by ocean at the time.
The holotype of Murusraptor was discovered in 2001 by Sergio Saldivia from the Museo Carmen Funes, Paleontologia de Vertebrados (Plaza Huincul, Neuquén Province, Argentina). It was found in a canyon wall in a rock formation referred to as Sierra Barrossa in the province of Neuquén, and was described in 2016 (why it took 15 years is not clear). It consists of a partial skull, and and assortment of other bones from the rest of the body. It is estimated to have been 6.5 metres long, but is believed to be an immature specimen, so adults were likely longer. The skull has evidence of a severe infection, which may be related to what appear to be tooth marks from another theropod.
"Murusraptor" means "wall thief", referring to the fact that this raptor was found in a canyon wall. "Barrosaensis" refers to Sierra Barrossa, the rock formation where it was discovered.
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