Open Paleo

Vectaerovenator

Barker et al., 2020 vec-TER-oh-VEN-uh-tuh

Named after Vectis (the Latin name for the Isle of Wight), combined with Latin aero meaning 'air' (referring to the pneumaticity of the vertebrae) and venator meaning 'hunter'; translates as 'Isle of Wight air-filled hunter'

121.4–113.2 million years ago Aptian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Vectaerovenator is a genus of tetanuran theropod from the Early Cretaceous period of what is now England (Lower Greensand Group; Ferruginous Sands). It contains one species, Vectaerovenator inopinatus; its holotype, consisting of the specimens IWCMS 2020.400, 2020.407, and 2019.84, comprises two anterior dorsal vertebrae, a cervical vertebra and a mid‐caudal vertebra from the late Aptian Ferruginous Sands of the Isle of Wight in southern England, discovered in 2019. Comparative anatomical analysis shows that this taxon shares homoplastic features with megalosauroids, carcharodontosaurs, and some coelurosaurs, and cannot be reliably placed beyond Tetanurae incertae sedis, but has enough autapomorphies that it can be considered a valid genus.

Under dispute

Vectaerovenator inopinatus is known from a few vertebrae and shares homoplastic features across Tetanurae. The describing analysis recovered it within Tyrannosauroidea (as sister to Megaraptora), but the authors reject that position as an artifact of homoplasy and low support and treat the genus as Tetanurae incertae sedis (Barker and colleagues, 2020). It is placed accordingly.

Diagnosis

  1. Conspicuous lateral furrow between lateral margin of postzygapophysis and prezygoepipophyseal lamina in cervical vertebrae
  2. Convex spinoprezygapophyseal laminae in anterior cervical vertebra
  3. Curved lamina bisecting the postzygocentrodiapophyseal fossa
  4. External extension of air sac ventral to parapophysis of anterior dorsal vertebra
  5. Complex partitioning of anteriormost dorsal pneumatic foramen into multiple internal pneumatic features
  6. Anterior articular facet of anterior dorsal vertebrae wider than centrum creating T-shaped vertebra in dorsal/ventral view
  7. Shallow fossae lateral to base of postzygapophyses in mid caudal vertebrae

Species

Vectaerovenator inopinatus Barker et al., 2020

Type species

From Latin 'inopinatus' meaning 'unexpected', referring to its surprise discovery in the notably dinosaur-poor Lower Greensand strata of the Isle of Wight.

Holotype
IWCMS 2019.84, IWCMS 2020.400, IWCMS 2020.407 , Dinosaur Isle Museum
Material
Cervical, dorsal, and caudal vertebrae. Cervical is opisthocoelous with pneumatic foramina; anterior dorsal with highly pneumatic centrum; mid-caudal with chevron facet and transverse processes.
Horizon
Ferruginous Sands Formation, Aptian, Early Cretaceous , 121.4–113.2 million years ago
Locality
Knock Cliff, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom The vertebrae were surface finds on the foreshore below Knock Cliff, assigned to the Ferruginous Sands Formation by matching their adhering glauconitic sandstone against the three formations in the cliff; Barker and colleagues (2020) suggest the New Walpen (XIII) Member, possibly its Urchin bed.

References

  1. Barker, C. T.; Naish, D.; Clarkin, C. E.; Farrell, P.; Hullmann, G.; Lockyer, J.; Schneider, P.; Ward, R. K. C.; Gostling, N. J. (2020). A highly pneumatic middle Cretaceous theropod from the British Lower Greensand. Papers in Palaeontology 6(4): 661-679. Wiley. doi:10.1002/spp2.1338 barker2020a
  2. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the mass and hip height estimates.

    jones2026c