Powellvenator
Named for Argentine paleontologist Jaime Powell, combined with Latin 'venator' meaning 'hunter'; meaning 'Powell's hunter.'
Late Triassic stages
Powellvenator is an extinct genus of coelophysoid theropod dinosaur that lived during the latter part of the Triassic Period in what is now northwestern Argentina. Fossils of the dinosaur were found in the Los Colorados Formation of the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin. The type species, Powellvenator podocitus, was named by Martin Ezcurra in 2017.
Diagnosis
- Tibia lacking anterior diagonal tuberosity and notch for posteromedial astragalar process
- Astragalus with distinctly sigmoid posterodorsal margin (medially convex, laterally concave)
- Astragalus with rounded, dorsally projected expansion on medial third of dorsal margin in anterior view
- Calcaneum with laterally projected flange occupying entire proximodistal height of anterolateral corner
- Distal tarsal 3 with convex anterolateral margin in proximal view
- Distal tarsal 4 with strongly convex anterior margin in proximal view
- Metatarsal II shaft less than half anteroposterior depth and transverse width of metatarsal III shaft
Species
Powellvenator podocitus Ezcurra, 2017
Type species
From Greek 'podos' (genitive of 'pous', foot) and Latin 'citus' (early), referring to the very small hindlimbs and the fact that this species is one of the oldest known neotheropods.
- Holotype
- PVL 4414-1 , Colección de Paleontologia de Vertebrados de la Fundación Instituto Miguel Lillo
- Material
- Distal end of tibia and fibula, astragalus, calcaneum, distal tarsals 3-4, proximal metatarsals II-IV, and most of metatarsal V
- Horizon
- upper Los Colorados Formation, Norian, Late Triassic , 227.3–205.7 million years ago
- Locality
- Quebrada de los Jachalleros, La Rioja, Argentina
References
- Ezcurra, M. D. (2017). A New Early Coelophysoid Neotheropod from the Late Triassic of Northwestern Argentina. Ameghiniana 54(5): 506. Asociacion Paleontologica Argentina. doi:10.5710/amgh.04.08.2017.3100 ezcurra2017a