Open Paleo

Papiliovenator

Pei et al., 2021 puh-PIL-ee-oh-ven-AY-tor

From Latin 'papilio' meaning 'butterfly', referring to the butterfly-shaped feature on its first two dorsal vertebrae, combined with Latin 'venator' meaning 'hunter'.

83.6–72.2 million years ago Campanian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Papiliovenator is a genus of troodontid theropod dinosaur from the Bayan Mandahu Formation of Inner Mongolia, China. The type and only species is Papiliovenator neimengguensis.

Under dispute

Papiliovenator was described as one of the most basal Late Cretaceous troodontids, the second-earliest-diverging after Almas (Pei and colleagues, 2021); some trees place it within Jinfengopteryginae. It is not assigned to a stable subfamily and is placed at Troodontidae incertae sedis.

Diagnosis

  1. Lateral groove of the dentary not posteriorly expanded
  2. Deep surangular fossa hosting the surangular foramen anteroventral to the glenoid fossa
  3. Ventral ridge of the surangular fossa mainly on the surangular
  4. Anterolaterally broadened and butterfly-shaped neural arches of first and second dorsal vertebrae in dorsal view
  5. Unserrated teeth
  6. Proportionally longer humeri (>50% skull length)
  7. Less mediolaterally compressed metatarsus

Species

Papiliovenator neimengguensis Pei et al., 2021

Type species

Named for Inner Mongolia (Nei Menggu), China, the region of the Bayan Mandahu Formation where the holotype was found.

Holotype
BNMNH-PV030 , Bayannur Museum of Natural History
Material
Partial semi-articulated subadult skeleton with nearly complete cranium
Horizon
Bayan Mandahu Formation, Campanian, Late Cretaceous , 83.6–72.2 million years ago
Locality
Bayan Mandahu Fossil Preserve, Inner Mongolia, China

References

  1. Pei, R.; Qin, Y.; Wen, A.; Zhao, Q.; Wang, Z.; Liu, Z.; Guo, W.; Liu, P.; Ye, W.; Wang, L.; Yin, Z.; Dai, R.; Xu, X. (2021). A new troodontid from the Upper Cretaceous Gobi Basin of inner Mongolia, China. Cretaceous Research 130. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2021.105052 pei2021a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the body length, mass, and hip height estimates.

    jones2026c