Open Paleo

Gnathovorax

Pacheco et al., 2019 nath-o-VOR-ax

From Greek gnathos (jaw) and Latin vorax (voracious, devouring); meaning 'devouring jaw', referring to its predatory nature

237.0–227.3 million years ago Carnian, Late Triassic
Late Triassic stages

Gnathovorax is a genus of herrerasaurid saurischian dinosaur from the Santa Maria Formation in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The type and only species is Gnathovorax cabreirai, described by Pacheco and colleagues in 2019. The type specimen comprises a mostly complete and well-preserved articulated skeleton (considered one of the best herrerasaurid skeletons ever discovered), which fossilized in close association with rhynchosaur and cynodont remains. The discovery of this superb specimen has shed light onto poorly understood aspects of herrerasaurid anatomy such as endocranial soft tissues.

Diagnosis

  1. Three premaxillary teeth (local autapomorphy), fewer than the four seen in Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis.
  2. Additional oval fenestra between maxilla and premaxilla contact, dorsal to the subnarial fenestra and markedly smaller than it (local autapomorphy).
  3. Two well-defined laminae in the antorbital fossa of the maxilla with a depression between them (local autapomorphy).
  4. Promaxillary fenestra absent (local autapomorphy).
  5. Preacetabular ala of the ilium with a pointed cranial tip (local autapomorphy).
  6. Large foramen (opening) on the obturator plate of the ischium (local autapomorphy; unique among herrerasaurids).

Species

Gnathovorax cabreirai Pacheco et al., 2019

Type species

Named for Sérgio Furtado Cabreira, the paleontologist who discovered the holotype specimen.

Holotype
CAPPA/UFSM 0009 , Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica da Quarta Colônia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria
Material
Almost complete and partially articulated skeleton (lacking only part of the left shoulder girdle and part of the left forelimb).
Horizon
Santa Maria Formation, Carnian, Late Triassic , 237.0–227.3 million years ago
Locality
Marchezan site, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

References

  1. Pacheco, C.; Müller, R. T.; Langer, M.; Pretto, F. A.; Kerber, L.; Dias-da-Silva, S. (2019). Gnathovorax cabreirai: a new early dinosaur and the origin and initial radiation of predatory dinosaurs. PeerJ 7: e7963. PeerJ. doi:10.7717/peerj.7963 pacheco2019a