Dracovenator
From Latin 'draco' meaning 'dragon' and 'venator' meaning 'hunter', meaning 'dragon hunter'.
Early Jurassic stages
Dracovenator is a genus of neotheropod dinosaur that lived approximately 201 to 199 million years ago during the early part of the Jurassic period in what is now South Africa. Dracovenator was a medium-sized, moderately built, ground-dwelling, bipedal carnivore, that could grow up to an estimated 5.5-6.5 meters (18-21 ft) in length and 250 kilograms (550 lb) in body mass. Its type specimen was based on only a partial skull that was recovered.
Diagnosis
- Large bilobed fossa surrounding a large lateral premaxillary foramen connected to the alveolar margin by a deep narrow channel.
- Deep, oblique notch on the lateral surface of the articular separating the retroarticular process from the posterior margin of the glenoid.
- Hypertrophied erect, tab-like dorsal processes on the articular: one immediately posterior to the chorda tympanic foramen opening and one on the anterolateral margin of the posterodorsal fossa.
Species
Dracovenator regenti Yates, 2005
Type species
Named for Regent 'Lucas' Huma, the late field assistant of Professor James Kitching who helped collect the type material.
- Holotype
- BP/1/5243 , Evolutionary Studies Institute (formerly Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research), University of the Witwatersrand
- Material
- Partial skull: premaxillae, maxilla fragment, dentary fragments, surangular, angular, prearticular, articular, and several teeth
- Horizon
- upper Elliot Formation, Hettangian–Sinemurian, Early Jurassic , 201.4–192.9 million years ago
- Locality
- farm Upper Drumbo, Eastern Cape, South Africa
References
- Yates, A. M. (2005). A new theropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of South Africa and its implications for the early evolution of theropods. Palaeontologia Africana 41: 105-122. yates2005a
-
Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.
Source of the hip height estimate, and the appearance features.
jones2026c