Koleken
Koleken is a genus of carnotaurin abelisaurid from the Maastrichtian La Colonia Formation in the Chubut Province of Argentina. The genus contains a single species, Koleken inakayali, known from one immature specimen about long and six years old in minimum age.
Discovery and naming
Koleken is known from only the holotype Museum of [Paleontology Egidio Feruglio|MPEF]-PV 10826 which was initially found and reported in 2015, but was not described as K. inakayali until 2024. The holotype consists of "closely associated remains of the skull and atlas, as well as the articulated postcranial skeleton composed of the posteriormost eight dorsal vertebrae, a complete sacrum, eight caudal vertebrae, an almost complete pelvis and hind limbs". It differs from the larger Carnotaurus in anatomical characteristics found in the skull, vertebrae, and leg bones. The specimen is likewise believed to represent a sub-adult based on a lack of fusion in some of the bones.The generic name, Koleken, is a name in Teushen spoken by the native population of central Patagonia that means "coming from clay and water", given the specimen was found in a sedimentary section dominated by claystone representing an estuarine environment. The specific name, inakayali, honours Inakayal, one of the last chiefs of Tehuelches, native people from central Patagonia.