Open Paleo

Sinovenator

Xu et al., 2002 sien-oh-vee-nay-tor

From Latin Sinae, "Chinese", combined with Latin venator, "hunter" — means "Chinese hunter"

125.8–121.4 million years ago Barremian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Sinovenator is a genus of troodontid dinosaur from China. It is from the early Cretaceous Period.

Diagnosis

  1. Straight and vertical anterior margin of antorbital fenestra
  2. Frontal with vertical lamina bordering the lacrimal
  3. Surangular T-shaped in cross-section with medial edge significantly lower than lateral edge
  4. Prominent lateral cnemial crest continuous with the fibular crest
  5. Long and slender posterior process of premaxilla excluding maxilla from external naris
  6. Five sacrals instead of six as in other troodontids

Species

Sinovenator changii Xu et al., 2002

Type species

Named for Meemann Chang, a researcher who contributed to the study of the Jehol Fauna; the genitive '-ii' form was applied though '-ae' would have been grammatically correct for a female honoree.

Holotype
IVPP V12615 , Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Material
Disarticulated partial skull and skeleton.
Horizon
lower Yixian Formation, Barremian, Early Cretaceous , 125.8–121.4 million years ago
Locality
Lujiatun and Yanzigou, Shangyuan, Liaoning, China Xu and colleagues (2002) give "Lujiatun and Yanzigou, Shanyuan, western Liaoning" in one locality line for the holotype and the referred IVPP V12583 together, without saying which site yielded which.

References

  1. Xu, X.; Norell, M. A.; Wang, X. L.; Makovicky, P. J.; Wu, X. C. (2002). A basal troodontid from the Early Cretaceous of China. Nature 415(6873): 780-784. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/415780a xu2002a
  2. Paul, G. S. (2024). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs (3rd ed.). Princeton University Press.

    Source of the mass estimate.

    paul2024a
  3. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate.

    jones2026c
  4. Zhong, Y.; Huyskens, M. H.; Yin, Q. Z.; Wang, Y.; Ma, Q.; Xu, Y. G. (2021). High-precision geochronological constraints on the duration of 'Dinosaur Pompeii' and the Yixian Formation. National Science Review 8(6): nwab063. doi:10.1093/nsr/nwab063

    Dates the base of the Yixian Formation, the Lujiatun Unit that yielded the holotype, to 125.755 Ma: Barremian on the ICS chart v2024/12 at its central value; its error reaches the Hauterivian.

    zhong2021a
  5. Gale, A. S.; Mutterlose, J.; Batenburg, S.; Gradstein, F. M.; Agterberg, F. P.; Ogg, J. G.; Petrizzo, M. R. (2020). The Cretaceous Period. Geologic Time Scale 2020 (Gradstein, F. M.; Ogg, J. G.; Schmitz, M. D.; Ogg, G. M., eds) 1023-1086. Elsevier, Amsterdam. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-824360-2.00027-9

    Gives the GTS2020 Barremian span, 126.5 to 121.4 Ma; the ICS chart v2024/12 starts the stage at 125.77 Ma.

    gale2020a