Fujianvenator

theropod dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Nanyuan Formation of Fujian Province, China. The genus contains a single species, F. prodigiosus, known from a partial articulated skeleton. It is suggested to possibly have had a terrestrial or wading lifestyle.^[1]

Fujian Province, China. The specimen consists of a partial articulated skeleton preserved on a slab and counterslab.^[1] The fossil specimen is missing the skull, neck, and the end of the tail.^[2]

anchiornithid theropod based on these fossil remains. The generic name, "Fujianvenator", combines a reference to Fujian Province, where the holotype was discovered, with the Latin word "venator", meaning "hunter". The specific name, "prodigiosus", is derived from a Latin word meaning "bizarre".^[1]

dorsal vertebrae indicate that the animal was likely a subadult.^[1]

metacarpals suggest that Fujianvenator would have had flexible grasping fingers, which could have aided in capturing prey. In more derived avialans, the metacarpals form a single immobile unit that primarily serves as the attachment site for flight feathers.^[1][2]

tyrannosaurids, which are generally accepted to have been adept at running. This may indicate that it was a particularly cursorial animal. Conversely, elongated lower legs are also associated with a wading ecology, as is seen in some extant birds like cranes and storks. The limb proportions of Fujianvenator are similar to wading birds, so this behavior is also possible. Since the toe bones of Fujianvenator are poorly preserved, it is difficult to further determine its exact ecology.^[1]

phylogenetic analyses by Xu et al. are shown in the cladogram below:^[1]

choristoderes. Xu et al. (2023) named this lagerstätte the Zhenghe Fauna. The discovery of Fujianvenator with several aquatic and semiaquatic animals suggests that it lived in a swamp environment, which is an unusual ecological niche for an early avialan. This, together with its long legs, supports an ecology for Fujianvenator similar to extant wading birds.^[1]