Linhevenator

Xu et al., 2011 LIN-huh-VEN-uh-tuh

From 'Linhe' (the region in Inner Mongolia, China where fossils were found) combined with Latin 'venator' (hunter); meaning 'Linhe hunter'

83.6–72.2 million years ago Campanian, Late Cretaceous

Late Cretaceous stages

Linhevenator is a genus of short-armed troodontid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous (Campanian) Bayan Mandahu Formation of Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia, China.

Diagnosis

Jugal with a lateral flange forming a flat shelf below the orbit
Surangular crest anteroventrally oriented rather than anteriorly
Medial expansion near distal end of femur on the posterior surface
Wide longitudinal groove present along distal third of dorsal surface of metatarsal III

Species

Linhevenator tani Xu et al., 2011

Type species

Named for Professor Tan Lin, honored in the genitive Latin '-i' suffix.

Holotype: LH V0021 , Long Hao Institute of Geology and Palaeontology
Material: Partly articulated partial skeleton comprising skull and mandible, six anterior and middle dorsal vertebrae, right scapula and right humerus, incomplete left and right ischia, left femur, nearly complete left pes.
Horizon: Bayan Mandahu Formation, Campanian, Late Cretaceous , 83.6–72.2 million years ago
Locality: North Canyon locality, Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia, China

References

Xu, X.; Tan, Q.; Sullivan, C.; Han, F.; Xiao, D. (2011). A Short-Armed Troodontid Dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia and Its Implications for Troodontid Evolution. PLoS ONE 6(9): e22916. Public Library of Science (PLoS). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0022916 xu2011c
Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.
Source of the hip height estimate, and the appearance features.
jones2026c