Open Paleo

Xinjiangovenator

Rauhut & Xu, 2005 SHEEN-JEE-yon-go-VEN-uh-tuh

Named after Xinjiang, the autonomous region of China where it was found, combined with Latin venator meaning 'hunter'; translates as 'Xinjiang hunter'

137.1–100.5 million years ago Valanginian–Albian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Xinjiangovenator is a genus of coelurosaurian dinosaurs, possibly part of the group Maniraptora, which lived in the Lianmuqin Formation of the Tugulu Group of China, dated to the Early Cretaceous period, sometime between the Valanginian and Albian stages.

Under dispute

Xinjiangovenator is known only from a lower hind limb, originally referred to the nomen dubium Phaedrolosaurus ilikensis. Rauhut and Xu (2005) recovered it within Maniraptora as the sister of Bagaraatan, with low support, but later works treat it as a basal coelurosaur not assignable to any established subclade (Turner and colleagues, 2012), and Foth and Rauhut (2026) recover it in an unresolved polytomy at the base of Coelurosauria.

Diagnosis

  1. Longitudinal groove on anterior side of fibula, a striking difference from all other theropods
  2. Fibular condyle of tibia extending posteriorly beyond lateral side of proximal tibia, separated by step rather than notch
  3. Ascending process of astragalus arising from complete breadth of astragalar body and very high (approximately three times height of astragalar body)
  4. Small theropod with tibia plus proximal tarsals length of 312 mm

Species

Xinjiangovenator parvus Rauhut & Xu, 2005

Type species

From Latin 'parvus' meaning 'small', reflecting the modest size of the holotype individual.

Holotype
IVPP V4024-2 , Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Material
Articulated partial right hind limb comprising tibia, fibula, astragalus, and calcaneum
Horizon
Lianmuqin Formation, Valanginian–Albian, Early Cretaceous , 137.1–100.5 million years ago
Locality
Wuerho, field locality 64041-9, Xinjiang, China

References

  1. Dong, Z. (1973). [Dinosaurs from Wuerho]. Reports of Paleontological Expedition to Sinkiang (II): Pterosaurian Fauna from Wuerho, Sinkiang. Memoirs of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Academia Sinica 11: 45-52.

    Catalogs the hind limb, now the holotype, as V. 4024-2 from field locality 64041-9 at Wuerho, under Phaedrolosaurus.

    dong1973a
  2. Rauhut, O. W. M.; Xu, X. (2005). The small theropod dinosaurs Tugulusaurus and Phaedrolosaurus from the early Cretaceous of Xinjiang, China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 25(1): 107-118. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2005)025[0107:tstdta]2.0.co;2

    Recovers it in Maniraptora as the sister of Bagaraatan; gives the holotype from Wuerho, Lianmuqin Formation, "?Valanginian-Albian".

    rauhut2005c
  3. Xu, X.; Choiniere, J.; Tan, Q.; Benson, R. B. J.; Clark, J.; Sullivan, C.; Zhao, Q.; Han, F.; Ma, Q.; He, Y.; Wang, S.; Xing, H.; Tan, L. (2018). Two Early Cretaceous Fossils Document Transitional Stages in Alvarezsaurian Dinosaur Evolution. Current Biology 28(17): 2853-2860.e3. Elsevier BV. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2018.07.057

    Gives "(Barremian-Aptian?)" only for the Xiyunykus horizon at Wucaiwan, not for the Lianmuqin at Wuerho.

    xu2018c
  4. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Reports the tentative maniraptoran referral.

    jones2026c
  5. Turner, A. H.; Makovicky, P. J.; Norell, M. A. (2012). A Review of Dromaeosaurid Systematics and Paravian Phylogeny. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 371: 1-206. doi:10.1206/748.1

    Lists Xinjiangovenator among small basal coelurosaurs not assignable to an established subclade.

    turner2012a
  6. Foth, C.; Rauhut, O. W. M. (2026). Considerations on the taxonomy of Late Jurassic Avialae (Theropoda) from the Solnhofen Archipelago. Fossil Record 29(2): 731-758. Pensoft Publishers. doi:10.3897/fr.29.200245

    Recovered Xinjiangovenator in the polytomy at the base of Coelurosauria.

    foth2026a