Sinovenator

Taxobox
name = "Sinovenator"
fossil_range = Early Cretaceous


image_width = 200 px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Theropoda
familia = Troodontidae
genus = "Sinovenator"
genus_authority = Xu "et al", 2002
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
*"S. changii" Xu "et al", 2002 (type)

"Sinovenator" (meaning "Chinese - hunter", derived from the Latin word "venator" = hunter and the Greek word "Σινάι" = China, Chinese) is a genus of troodontid dinosaur from China. It is from the early Cretaceous Period. Two fossils were found in the older (lower) portion of the Yixian Formation in China, 128.2 million years ago (Ma) during the Barremian age. The type specimen, "Sinovenator changii", was described by Xu, Norell, Wang, Makovicky and Wu in 2002. The type sepcimen is IVPP 12615, a partial skull and disarticulated skeleton. A referred specimen is IVPP 12583, an incomplete but articulated postcranial skeleton. Both are in the collection of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing China.

"Sinovenator" was a basal troodontid. It is the oldest and most basal described member of this family (older still but much more advanced is the yet undescribed WDC DML 001, from the Kimmeridgian-age Morrison Formation from United States). "Sinovenator" shares features with the most primitive dromaeosaurids and Avialae, demonstrating the common inheritance of these three members of the Paraves. "Sinovenator" was about the size of a chicken.Xu, Xing, Norell, Mark A., Wang, Xiao-Lin, Makovicky, Peter J., Wu, Xiao-Chun. (2002) "A basal troodontid from the Early Cretaceous of China" "Nature"415:780-784. 14 February 2002]

References

* [http://www.users.qwest.net/~jstweet1/troodontidae.htm Troodontidae] at "Thescelosaurus"!