Sinovenator
Encyclopedia
Sinovenator is a genus
of troodontid dinosaur
from China. It is from the early Cretaceous
Period. Two fossil
s were originally found in the Lujiatun Beds of the lower Yixian Formation
in China
, about 125 million years ago (Ma) during the Aptian
age.
The type species
, Sinovenator changii, was described by Xu, Norell, Wang, Makovicky and Wu in 2002. The generic name is derived from the Latin word venator = hunter and the Sinae = China. The specific name honours the Chinese paleontologist Meemann Chang.
of Sinovenator changii is IVPP 12615, a partial skull and disarticulated skeleton. One additional specimen was by the original publication scientifically described and referred to the species: an incomplete but articulated postcranial skeleton, numbered IVPP 12583. Both are in the collection of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
in Beijing, China. However, Sinovenator fossils appear to be common in the Lujiatun Beds. In a 2006 survey of the Jehol Biota
, Xu and Norell reported that hundreds of undescribed specimens are known.
Sinovenator was a primitive troodontid, and shares features with the most primitive dromaeosaurids and Avialae
, one of the first fossil specimens conclusively demonstrating the common inheritance of these three groups (together known as Paraves
). The holotype individual of Sinovenator was about the size of a chicken
, less than a metre long.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of troodontid dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
from China. It is from the early Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
Period. Two fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s were originally found in the Lujiatun Beds of the lower Yixian Formation
Yixian Formation
The Yixian Formation is a geological formation in Jinzhou, Liaoning, People's Republic of China, that spans 11 million years during the early Cretaceous period...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, about 125 million years ago (Ma) during the Aptian
Aptian
The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous epoch or series and encompasses the time from 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma , approximately...
age.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
, Sinovenator changii, was described by Xu, Norell, Wang, Makovicky and Wu in 2002. The generic name is derived from the Latin word venator = hunter and the Sinae = China. The specific name honours the Chinese paleontologist Meemann Chang.
Description
The type specimen or holotypeHolotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
of Sinovenator changii is IVPP 12615, a partial skull and disarticulated skeleton. One additional specimen was by the original publication scientifically described and referred to the species: an incomplete but articulated postcranial skeleton, numbered IVPP 12583. Both are in the collection of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology
The Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of China is a prominent research institution and collections repository for fossils, including many dinosaur and pterosaurand cat poo specimens...
in Beijing, China. However, Sinovenator fossils appear to be common in the Lujiatun Beds. In a 2006 survey of the Jehol Biota
Jehol Biota
The Jehol Biota includes all the living organisms - the ecosystem - of northeastern China between 133 to 120 million years ago. This is the Lower Cretaceous ecosystem which left fossils in the Yixian Formation and Jiufotang Formation. It is also believed to have left fossils in the Sinuiju series...
, Xu and Norell reported that hundreds of undescribed specimens are known.
Sinovenator was a primitive troodontid, and shares features with the most primitive dromaeosaurids and Avialae
Avialae
Avialae is a clade of dinosaurs containing their only living representatives, birds , and the most immediate extinct relatives of birds.-Competing definitions:...
, one of the first fossil specimens conclusively demonstrating the common inheritance of these three groups (together known as Paraves
Paraves
Paraves is a branch-based clade containing birds and other closely related dinosaurs. The paravians include the Avialae, including Archaeopteryx and modern birds, and the Deinonychosauria, which includes the dromaeosaurids and troodontids....
). The holotype individual of Sinovenator was about the size of a chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
, less than a metre long.
External links
- Troodontidae at Thescelosaurus!