Maip Macrothorax: Cold Killer of Patagonia | Paleoart Dinosaur Profile

Today we're stepping away from Kaimere to examine a real animal that was just announced: Maip macrothorax, a giant robust megaraptoran from Late Cretaceous Argentina. Although not found in Kaimere, it serves as an unexpected precedent for the giant megaraptorans of my speculative biology project and I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about this fascinating animal!
Link to the paper: www.nature.com...
Link to skeletal reconstruction I used as a reference: www.deviantart...
#Paleoart #Maip #Maipmacrothorax #Dinosaur #Megaraptor
Tales of Kaimere: www.barnesandn...
Paperback ISBN: 9781087927442
Hardcover ISBN: 9781087919560
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Twitter: / talesofkaimere
DeviantArt: www.deviantart...
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[@liambrandley2716]

Honestly being so used to megaraptorans being the apex predator of kaimere means that wasn't even surprised by this discovery.

[@TalesofKaimere]

Haha was a fun validation!

[@ryanchen1819]

TBH, I was never surprised by large megaraptorans as the 12 m bahariasaurus was and is sometimes considered to be one.

[@Andrey.Ivanov]

A very fascinating animal. It's unfortunate that the Mesozoic ended so abruptly just when Megaratorans and Abelisaurids finally had the chance to show their potential as apex predators. Megaratorans are severely underrated theropods in the overall paleo community but they are a staple in the Kaimere fanbase so it is very fitting that you were able to cover Maip (props to the person who funded the video). Now this gives me more motivation to finish illustration of it that I started working on today

[@TalesofKaimere]

Heck yeah! I wish I had more time I would have put a call for Maip art. I saw your WIP on Insta it’s coming along splendidly!

[@Andrey.Ivanov]

@@TalesofKaimere Thanks man! Megaratorans are really fun to draw and definitely among my favorite dinosaurs in that regard. Good thing is that I managed to make the human for comparison to not look so terrible this time around, because I definitely had to include a size comparison for this guy.

[@azrielmoha6877]

Wait, so Megaraptoran and Abelisaurs just peaked when the K/Pg extinction happen? I thought they're already being replaced by Tyrannosaurids and other coelurosaurids, at least in the Northern Hemisphere. Make you wonder what would happen if the extinction event never happened and we got to see their full potential.

[@Andrey.Ivanov]

@@azrielmoha6877 Megaraptorans and Abelisaurids never had extensive presence in the northern hemisphere. Basal Megaratorans are known from Early Cretaceous Asia but they persisted longer and diversified the most in Australia and South America. Abelisaurids initially evolved in the southern hemisphere being found throughout South America, Africa, India and Madagascar. By the end of the Cretaceous they had infiltrated some parts of the European archipelago at the time, probably from Africa, but never reached Asia or North America where tyrannosaurids ruled. Similarly true tyrannosaurids never got to the southern hemisphere.

[@bkjeong4302]

@@azrielmoha6877 Megaraptorans and abelisaurids were never outcompeted by tyrannosaurids, for the simple reason they never met. In fact, tyrannosaurids didn’t really outcompete ANYTHING-the last carnosaurs were already extinct by the time tyrannosaurids became large predators.

[@alexismauroaranciagaroland5284]

Yes, you pronounced it right. I´m glad that you cover our job. You are very talented. Please, keep doing these things.

[@TalesofKaimere]

Thank you!! I’m so honored to hear from you.

[@cryptodino3roberts712]

Is it okay to call it macrothorax . we refer trex as rex normaly .is it more proper to refer to the genus or the species

[@opaleotuga7358]

This is a very surprising discovery indeed! With such size, Maip would be an absolute terror of the cretaceous argentina. Also it provides us with a very rare oportunity to see a world post carcharodontosaurs. Also it´s like Kaimere for a brief period of our natural history was real

[@11Legorex]

Lol I was just about to watch your oligocene harvest video and you now post this, you’re a mad lad sir

[@TalesofKaimere]

I have 0 chill

[@robrice7246]

2:35 All I have to say to that is, Carnotaurus and Stegouros better watch out.

[@Mikailodon]

Nice take on the color scheme of your Mail reconstruction! Also I love the nice thicc floofy tail.

[@TalesofKaimere]

Thanks!

[@Ditidos]

This is very cool. I absolutely love when spec bio predicts a real animal before it is discovered. Congratulations on that! It was also through Kaimere that I discovered megaraptorans and made me enthusiastic about them, I still prefer carcharodontosaurids overall and I have an unconditional love for Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus but this animal is going into my list of favourite classical theropods for sure!

[@TalesofKaimere]

Absolutely! Got tons of love for the classics but I just love megaraptorans for breaking the trend of big theropods.

[@derrabbit7289]

When I got older and looked more into paleontology, I was shocked by how rare full fossils were.

[@TalesofKaimere]

It’s quite unfortunate. Does make the inferences that experts are able to make via comparison all the more impressive though!

[@dudotolivier6363]

This discovery than show there were large robust Megaraptorian as like on Kaimere as local Apex predators, being ironic because you completely invented these later BEFORE this discovery remind me a lot to many others cases. This kind of mindblowing case were someone create a completely fictionnal animal for the needs of a movie or whatever, and ironiquely and by complete luck, some or many years after his creation, a specie who look EXACTELY like the fictional one is discovered ! For example, we discovers : - a small mammal in the 2010's who look like Scrat, the famous and beloved Sabertooth Squirrel from Ice Age franchise (even if thereal Scrat not live in the Cenozoic but during the Mesozoic and was not a true Squirrel but more a Shrew-like animal). - A Radiodonta /Anomalocarida first named Ceticaris and his entire new created family, for the occasion, the Cetiocaridae (before being renamed into Tamisiocaris and Tamisiocaridae respectively) from a fictionnal speculative filter-like whale radiodont named Bearded Ceticaris by John Meszaros from All Your Yesterdays book by C.M. Kosemen and release around 2016-2017. A speculative book sequel to All Yesterday from the same writter with also Darren Naish and John Conway. - But the most famous example I can mentionned being the Jurassic park Raptors (officialy in the canon universe Velociraptor mongoliensis), from the very first 1993 film, and their huge exagerated size. Their was base on Deinonychus (who was at the time though but whith doubt to be a specie of the genus before been reconize to be his own genus). But the final products were even taller than normals Deinonychus. Ironiquely, some time after the release of the movie, Utahraptor, the biggest raptor ever known even today, was discovered and put into the screen ! The teams behind the movie had created a fictionnal animal that in reality, without knew it, have really excited ! That crazy ! here, we have the SAME case ! How you feel about that ?

[@TalesofKaimere]

I feel absolutely fantastic! A very exciting list to be included on!

[@mr.mystery9940]

That had to be a fate. Especially that would interesting for future "what if dinosaurs never extinct" scenarios. Before that it was thought, that abelisaurids were the only macropredators in late cretaceous Gondwana, but since it's no longer the case, I think now there would more projects with Megaraptorans as apex predators in South America, after Cretaceous. Basically, Great American change would be riots, Tyrannosaurids vs Megaraptorans

[@TalesofKaimere]

Absolutely! Would love to see more love for the megs. Iirc their heavily pneumatized bones mean they aren’t as likely to be fossilized/preserved as well as other dinosaurs (no animal is likely to be fossilized and we obviously found some material so it’s not a 0 sun game) so they may well have been more prevalent than the current fossil record suggests. Hope future fossils illuminate this!

[@Nigel_BC]

That’s really cool! I think I found my new favorite dinosaur! I’m excited to see further reconstructions and studies into this species!

[@TalesofKaimere]

Right?? It’s such a cool animal!

[@macabrevoid]

Your channel and world building of Kaimere got me fascinated with Megaraptorians and its so cool to see the clade getting more attention now in the paleo community and the public eye (new papers, discoveries art and in the game beast of Bremuda)! They're so cool and I hope this upwards streak of public fascination for them continues. *now we can wait eagerly for a Kurajaku-esque femur and neural spine bone to be found to confirm Megaraptor domination on earth*

[@TalesofKaimere]

That would blow me over the moon lol. I didn’t know Megaraptor was on Beasts of Bermuda! Just looked into it that model is absolutely beautiful

[@dudotolivier6363]

Great video ! I will be honest, I like the concept to speak time to time on a subject that have nothing at all or very little few links only with Kaimere. Making this kind of paleo profile of real animals that exist to show and put into light some interesting or even mindblowing details or aspect recently found is very fun, eductative and give more diversity of what the channel can give ! Nice new concept, fun idea and true educationnal videos who can be watch without had seen the others video by obligation before, I hope that will be others Paleo profile like this one ! Plus, it's seem that you like a lot and take many pleasure to do this video ;) And... between us, let be agree... you have a huge instantly love and bond with this new paper/discovery (thing that deserved to this later as the same time) and especially his new specie, litteraly the biggest and evolved member of his order ever discovered ! XD

[@TalesofKaimere]

Oh absolutely! I’d love to do more paleo profiles. Helps give context (one of my favorite words lol) to a lot of my creatures and helps highlight cool prehistoric animals some folks might not be as familiar with.

[@coreys.2456]

I actually remember seeing a news article regarding this recently discovered beastie so it's nice to see you cover it, too. The various sketches and drawings are also very well done. And again, the way you describe the megaraptorans and their role in Earth's and Kaimere's ecosystem is awe-inspiring. They're definitely growing on me with each video you make and revelation I have while doing research. Keep up the good work. :)

[@TalesofKaimere]

Thank you thank you! I was so excited when it was announced. I’ve heard rumors for a couple years now but was great to see a full description!

[@xemiii]

I just read the paper about this thing yesterday lol. Megaraptorans are popping off lately, can't wait for them to be found as the first sentient organisms 🦖🧠

[@TalesofKaimere]

Fingers crossed!

[@Nigel_BC]

😂

[@christosgiannopoulos828]

Real life to Tales of Kaimere: I would like to give you the highest honor i can bestow *Predicting the discovery of a real animal

[@TalesofKaimere]

I am truly honored

[@alghoulaj7172]

To think that Kaimere and earth are not so different... Then again, it's a small wonder. I mean, Megaraptorans and Abelisaurs are the biggest benefits from the downfall of the Carcharadontosaurs and Spinosaurs in North Africa so.. Yeah.

[@kiarash608]

Impressive that you pretty much predicted this

[@dudotolivier6363]

I love the Megaraptorian order and the fact that you give them very important roles in your Spec Evo project, since in our overall popular culture they are not very present, well know, popular and very use animals in games, documentaries or others kind of media. They are very and considered to be minor, second place, little group of theropods that live during a small time on earth and not as apex predator clade that had only a minor success but shadowed by the others most well known groups like Abelisaurs, Carnosaurs/Allosauridoidae and Tyranosaurs like we knwon them and are oftenly depicted today like badass animals very adapted that have a high and propesrous diversity and long golden age like dominant efficient predators etc.... But Megaraptorians are very interesting and facinating and were as equal than the others groups, with all their exclusive abilities and physical and behaviors characteristic only themselves have ! Their overall lesser popularity that not put them regulary into the front of the screen being their fragmentary and rares fossils. However, we know enough thing to see that their were very unique among theropods ! We speak about a bipedal theropods dinosaurs who use not only to kill their preys and not with their mouth like usual, but also to move and transport these same preys with them on long distances to eat them completely in safe place ! These dinos were VERY smart and have high intelligence ! The fact that the old question to know if dinos like Raptors and Troodontid (more frequently) or others small or big theropods can use their hand (especially since with know how these later were really positioned, in supination and not pronated like old school vintage depictions). But with Megaraptorian, lik their arms was made, we HAVE the awnser at list for them ! So, yes, very good and clever move you made with the Megaraptorian on Kaimere ;)

[@2dheethbar]

The team behind the current Jurassic World saga: "Dino's are getting more popular again! Quick, another movie!"

[@SkylerTheCryodrakon69]

Me also being a megaraptoran fanatic I practically squealed with emense joy when i heard there was a giant megaraptoran finally described from the maastrictian Its like a dream come true

[@TalesofKaimere]

It absolutely is! I was elated when I first heard rumors and even more so when it was revealed! Even bigger and badder than I anticipated!

[@SkylerTheCryodrakon69]

@@TalesofKaimere hail be to maip!

[@sparkyAR]

You get extra points for your pronunciation of El Calafate and Argentina.

[@TalesofKaimere]

Thanks! Couldn’t get a definitive pronunciation of Maip but that at least I found reliably.

[@sparkyAR]

@@TalesofKaimere I´m not 100% sure but Maip probably comes from the mapuche language (the mapuches were the original inhabitants of patagonia), so I don´t know if they had an equivalent of a "diptongo/hiato" like in spanish where you could put together or combine the two vowels... so the way you said it sounds good to me.

[@Dylan-Hooton]

Nice! I can't wait for you to do a video of adapiforms on Kaimere. :)

[@sivanlevi3867]

This is a surprise. You speculate that Megaraptorans rise to the top in Kaimere, and all of a sudden, paleontologists IRL find one in a time period further away than its kin and becoming massive! How ironic!

[@TalesofKaimere]

Time to manifest a 10 ton entelodont into existence this was merely my first step

[@sivanlevi3867]

@@TalesofKaimere Heck yeah! Oh, maybe in the future you could cover the clades that didn't make it in Kaimere. You said that some clades were reduced in diversity, some only survive in only specific places, but what lived in Kaimere and didn't make it to the present?

[@seanessdragon4142]

:0 awesomeness overload ! Question ? Should I add more megaraptorans

[@seanessdragon4142]

@The Philosoraptor :]

[@seanessdragon4142]

@The Philosoraptor : D

[@TalesofKaimere]

Always

[@seanessdragon4142]

@@TalesofKaimere thank you

[@xuanluu4873]

I wonder if you’ll be doing more of these paleoart videos, since they seem like something to spice up the channel

[@TalesofKaimere]

There’s been a good bit of interest in them and I think it provides some context to the designs I make.

[@josephlongbone4255]

Ok, but would it willingly jump on the face of a sauropod 70 times it's size?

[@TalesofKaimere]

Based on their only media appearance and without other points of reference yes, we have to assume that was their preferred method of hunting

[@ianswinford5570]

I wonder if these are what dinosaurs would look like on our own planet had they survived the mass extinction event that killed off most non-avian dinosaurs? I’m still working on my sci-fi/speculative biology world. It’s gonna rock!

[@TalesofKaimere]

Great to hear!! I do think it’s plausible that megaraptorans would have endured longer than other clades since they seem to have pretty generalist predators. Arm focused killing is great for smaller game.

[@GeZz.]

i never knew this Dino and im from Argentina... but my fav dino from my country is and forever will be Carnotaurus

[@Achillobator]

So cool! Congrats on the prediction!

[@TalesofKaimere]

Thanks!

[@barybarsboldia197]

Will we ever get a episode on the early megaraptorans after the tyrant dynasty?

[@TalesofKaimere]

Perhaps! Would certainly be an interesting topic!

[@extraordinarytv5451]

As a Megaraptoran lover who would have loved to see a 12 meter Megaraptoran, the meteorite that killed the dinosaurs is now personally my biggest opp

[@GeZz.]

Yes, the dino would also love to meet you... and eat you too... LOL

[@dudotolivier6363]

What is the dead prey that the Maip hold on his hand in the black and white picture at 6:13 minutes ? It's seem to be a small earliest ongulate mammal ! Like a Phenacodus from the Phenacodontidae in the Condylarthra order in body shape appearance. Was there a minor harvest in Argentina in the same time that this specie to this later been harvested in some past times in Kaimere's history ?

[@TalesofKaimere]

That is a basal ornithopod Isasicursor!

[@dudotolivier6363]

@@TalesofKaimere OHHHHH ! Okay, so this specie and his prey were never brought to Kaimere. But Megaraptorid still alway like they are !

[@CreatureDomain]

I want to join Paleo Rewind Of This Year If They Does One. I Really Like All These Stuff.

[@tompotter8703]

I know the discovery was probably way too recent, but I’m wondering if this thing will show up in prehistoric planet in some form, since that series is focusing on Campanian and Maastrichtian animals. Maybe it crashes the Carnotaurus party.

[@TalesofKaimere]

That would be amazing! It has been in the know in certain circles apparently for many years now and if they knew it would get an official description by the airing of the show then possibly? I doubt it but that would be amazing.

[@Shehzain]

It's going to be in "Amazing Dinoworld 2"

[@TerranArt]

That reminds of how a deviantart artist? Invented a filter feeding anomalacaris and then later on such a thing was discovered.

[@TalesofKaimere]

Yeah! Heard about that a super cool discovery

[@saucin5909]

Came from paleo analysis don’t regret it

[@TalesofKaimere]

Wicked! His channel is absolutely fantastic

[@nabillaalodyaazahradesu.4859]

Superb quality, I love the series, keep it up!

[@TalesofKaimere]

Thanks!

[@robrice7246]

Because of Maip's size, what does that mean for Bahairasaurus?

[@TalesofKaimere]

I don’t know enough to comment on the taxonomic nightmare that is Bahariasaurus lol

[@travisgould5423]

judging by the fossil diagram, it can be anything until proven it is either a Megaraptoran or not. it could very well be something else like a therizinosaur like the drawing shown had similar features or a deinocheirus relative. for example, Indosuchus was believed to be an Indian Tyrannosaur only to be exposed an abelisaur, or Dravidosaurus was believed to be a stegosaurus in the cretaceous only to be exposed to a plesiosaur. so I am saying that Maip Macrothorax maybe exposed something else until all bones are discovered.

[@TalesofKaimere]

The bones we have are very similar to other megaraptorans in all ways but size and robusticity. The researchers are quite confident that it’s a megaraptoran.

[@steelerex9839]

One thing I’m curious about your world is are there pachycephalosaurs on Kaimere and if there are how have they done?

[@TalesofKaimere]

They will be on the eastern continent. Not as successful as parksosaurs but doing pretty well all things considered!

[@seanessdragon4142]

Ok I’m gonna bing the biodome project a little hiatus BUT! I’m doing another dinosaur related speculative evolution project Called “A different world” Wanna hear about it

[@TalesofKaimere]

Go for it!

[@seanessdragon4142]

@@TalesofKaimere thank you so much

[@Avisrex1995]

I know and talk to Pwnz3r Dragon. He has done a lot of amazing skeletals

[@TalesofKaimere]

Really has! Only knew about his megaraptorid until recently. His mosasaur is also really excellent.

[@sirxarounthefrenchy7773]

I know it's not related to the video but I've seen that sauropods on Kaimere walked on their front "fist" like gorilla. Is there a reason for that ? Anyway it's was really interesting to learn that megaraptoran started to evole similarly on Earth before KDY extinction than on Kaimere.

[@TalesofKaimere]

That’s going to be something I want to devote some time to in my Titan episode. They’re walking on their toes like other sauropods but it looks like a fist since their hands have basically bred reduced to metacarpals. The thumb is the only digit with significant phalanges

[@dudotolivier6363]

@@TalesofKaimere The most evolved sauropods even have not finger at all at the very end of their evolutionary story, especially in Titanosaurid ! On Kaimere, theses later keep their normal fingers at their feet. It's crazy because during a very long time, most sauropod depiction put them just elephant-like feet and that was all ! But Sauropods had known a very diverse panels of feet and fingers in their evolution, in fact.

[@sirxarounthefrenchy7773]

@@TalesofKaimere Can't wait for the sauropods os Kaimere episode then

[@robrice7246]

Should it be pronounced as Mai-eep or Mape?

[@TalesofKaimere]

I couldn’t find any reference to it and so far no one else has done videos that I could find. Even tried to find hints from Aónikenk (the indigenous peoples) but came up dry. Basically gave it my best guess 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@guillermog.o7057]

In Argentina we pronounce It as _Ma eep_

[@cryptodino3roberts712]

Is it okay to call it macrothorax . we refer trex as rex normaly .is it more proper to refer to the genus or the species

[@extraordinarytv5451]

We all know the real reason dinosaurs went extinct is because 12 meter megaraptorans would've been op and with all the potential in their long arms and wrists being able to pronate maybe they would've been Earth's first sapient animal instead of humans? (Note: Yes I'm aware that last part is a HUGE stretch. It's related to my book so I'm biased.)

[@rodrigopinto6676]

“12meters” NO evidence

[@rodrigopinto6676]

Maximum length 8-9 meters long.

[@extraordinarytv5451]

@@rodrigopinto6676 dude read it again. I am not claiming Maip is 12 meters. It was maximum 10 meters. "*WOULD'VE* been op" should have clued you in

[@Shehzain]

Can I learn about your book?! Damn I wanna read this I am totally obsessed with Megaraptorans.

[@MrT_Rex]

EXCELLENT !!

[@globin3477]

Say, what is the music you are using for this video?

[@TalesofKaimere]

Call from the Wild by Rune Dale! Quite a bop. It’s listed at the end of the video

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

Dudes hands remind me of candyman.

[@TalesofKaimere]

Lol

[@aidanconnor2274]

South American bear megaraptorid ?

[@TalesofKaimere]

Pretty much!

[@dalekrenegade2596]

What pencils do you use in your art?

[@TalesofKaimere]

Prismacolor

[@dalekrenegade2596]

@@TalesofKaimere what kinds of pencil, some pencils can smudge more easily while cannot.

[@brontospinusregalia6921]

Damn you space rock!

[@nachofloresaguirre545]

good pronunciation!

[@TalesofKaimere]

Thank you!

[@fish_styx23]

Ok, I understand the maip is a fearsome creature that eats stuff much physically bigger than itself, but why is it so friend shaped? It's just a goofy little guy.

[@att1917]

Hey do you know how much maip weighed?

[@TalesofKaimere]

I believe it was estimated to be around 5 tons in the paper, but that may have been a supplementary estimate. Despite how robust this taxa is, I’m personally skeptical of it being over 3 tons given how lightly built megaraptorans were, but I’m very much not an expert

[@att1917]

@@TalesofKaimere Well it was downsized to 3 tons, probably because they were fast and agile creatures.

[@ItzMaip]

Maip means : the shadow ofmdeath that killsnwith cold wind

[@gillriet773]

and who doesn't appreciate a robust torso? 😅

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

1:35 crypt lovers”sounds like they actually saw this animal” obviously personally I wish that was true but was probably theme seeing the bones of ones and that’s where many myth and legends came from, the fossils of extinct dinosaurs and other animals.

[@Prncess247]

We need a kaimere discord server

[@TalesofKaimere]

Someday! Right now I’m too busy to moderate it

[@crackerjack9660]

Oh that’ll be sick

[@miquelescribanoivars5049]

Zentaur IRL.

[@TalesofKaimere]

Heck yeah!

[@windsmith4048]

I suppose that the saying "reality imatates art" has a grain of truth, hu?

[@TalesofKaimere]

About right! Was super exciting!

[@MesozoicLad]

I’m assuming Maip didn’t weigh 5 tons- that’s what the internet says. Pls respond soon-

[@TalesofKaimere]

I’ve heard ranges from 2 and 5 tons, but I don’t think there’s been any volumetric or limb support studies for a more reliable estimate.

[@TalesofKaimere]

If I gave a mass estimate in my video, I shouldn’t have

[@skistorm739]

the thing you can't do is maybe in story only no images you can skip all that. and I mean magic can increase their size like bugs? just think of it before say no

[@TalesofKaimere]

Possibly

[@elshebactm6769]

🤠👍🏿

[@transnewt]

distUNGished

[@grahamdavis3159]

@illustratedmenagerie I want you to that God loves you, He forgives you, and He wants a relationship with you, that if you believe and receive it, can start now but will last for eternity.

[@TalesofKaimere]

Thank you for the sentiment but I’m quite comfortable with my spirituality.

[@grahamdavis3159]

@@TalesofKaimere You're very welcome. Thank you for for being respectful and honest. Though I would love to pray for you or answer any questions, I will not try to force you to believe my beliefs. Have a blessed day!