Pendraig is an extinct genus of small theropod from South Wales, which lived around 215 to 200 million years ago during the Late Triassic. It contains only a single species so far, P. milnerae.
Description[]
Pendraig would have been relatively small compared to later theropods of the mesozoic, measuring around a meter in length, but would have still been the apex predator of its locality during the time of the species' existence.
Discovery and naming[]
The fossils of Pendraig were found in the Pant-y-ffynnon quarry of the south wales region, although the details of the discovery are unclear. The species named (Pendraig milnerae) was named in honor of Angela Milner, a paleontologist known for describing Baryonyx, who passed away about a month before the initial naming of Pendraig. This is also the third time a dinosaur was named after her, and the second dinosaur to be named after her within 30 days(The first being Riparovenator milnerae).
Paleoecology[]
During the existence of Pendraig, the Panty-y-ffynnon region would have been a wetland.[1] Pendraig is currently the oldest dinosaur known from the United Kingdom.[2] Other dinosaurs like Pantydraco would have coexisted with Pendraig, but would've have evolved later, and possibly was a prey item for Pendraig. It would have also lived alongside other animals such as Aenigmaspina (a Pseudosuchian), Terrestrisuchus (a small early crocodylomorph), Clevosaurus cambrica (a Rhynchocephalian), and many more.