Cretaceous
Llukalkan
Llukalkan aliocranianus
The catalogue presents Llukalkan as a carnivore member of Abelisauridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 85.7–83.6 Ma. Its estimated range is 5.0 m in length and 0.5–1.0 t in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from La Invernada fossil area, Bajo de la Carpa Formation, Neuquén, Argentina. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Llukalkan, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Gianechini et al. (2020).
The PBDB places it in Furileusauria, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Abelisauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Abelisauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range is the Santonian.
The PBDB catalogues 1 occurrence, with material from the Bajo de la Carpa Formation (1). Provenance: Argentina.
The catalogue records the holotype as MPCN PV 1001 and the type locality as “La Invernada fossil area, Bajo de la Carpa Formation, Neuquén, Argentina”.
- MPCN PV 1001
- La Invernada fossil area, Bajo de la Carpa Formation, Neuquén, Argentina
The catalogue's reference measurements are 5.0 m in length and 0.5–1.0 t in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 5.0 m
- 0.5-1.0 tons
The record gathers 1 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic 3D reconstruction
There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.
Physical Specifications
- Length
- 5.0 m
- Weight
- 0.5–1.0 t
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 85.7–83.6 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 2021
- Described by
- Méndez et al.
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Saurischia
- Family
- Abelisauridae
- Genus
- Llukalkan
- Species
- L. aliocranianus
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- MPCN PV 1001
- Type locality
- La Invernada fossil area, Bajo de la Carpa Formation, Neuquén, Argentina