Natovenator

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Natovenator
Temporal range:
Ma
↓
Skeletal reconstruction, based on the holotype
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Family: †Dromaeosauridae
Subfamily: †Halszkaraptorinae
Genus: †Natovenator
Lee et al., 2022
Species:
†N. polydontus
Binomial name
†Natovenator polydontus
Lee et al., 2022

Natovenator is a genus of

dromaeosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Barun Goyot Formation of Mongolia. The genus is known from a single species, N. polydontus. Natovenator is crucial to the understanding of halszkaraptorines due to it providing more support for the semi-aquatic lifestyle that has been proposed for this clade.[1] This discovery is important as the semi-aquatic lifestyles of halszkaraptorines (mainly Halszkaraptor) was contested in early 2022.[2]

Discovery and naming

Holotype block

The Natovenator

Omnogovi Province, Mongolia. It consists of a mostly articulated skeleton with a nearly complete skull.[1]

The specimen was first mentioned in a 2019

piscivorous diet and possible swimming behaviour. The specific name, "polydontus", is derived from the Greek words "polys", meaning "many", and "odous", meaning "tooth".[1]

Description

Holotype skull

Natovenator was a very small theropod, comparable in appearance to extant

Hesperornithiformes, which were toothed diving birds.[1]

Classification

Body elements from the holotype

In their phylogenetic analyses, Lee et al. (2022) recovered Natovenator as a derived member of the Halszkaraptorinae, with Halszkaraptor being the most basal member of the group. The cladogram below displays the results of their phylogenetic analyses.[1]

Dromaeosauridae

Paleobiology

Aquatic habits

Life restoration of Natovenator

In 2022, Lee and colleagues regarded Natovenator as an efficient swimming dromaeosaurid with a

spinosaurids. Even though the exact aquatic locomotion of Natovenator is unknown, Lee and colleagues suggested that its forelimbs acted as flippers for propulsion when swimming.[1]

Paleoenvironment

The

water bodies.[4][5][6]

The Barun Goyot Formation was also home to many other

oviraptorids Conchoraptor, Heyuannia and Nemegtomaia;[17][18] and the large sauropod Quaesitosaurus.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISSN 2399-3642
    .
  2. S2CID 247630374
    .
  3. ^ Lee, S.; Lee, Y.-N.; Currie, P. J.; Sissons, R.; Park, J.-Y.; Kim, S.-H.; Barsbold, R.; Tsogtbaatar (October 2019). "A new halszkaraptirine from the Baruungoyor Formation of Mongolia: Preliminary description and phylogenetic analysis". Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Abstracts of Papers, 79th Annual Meeting: 167. Archived from the original on 2020-12-15. Retrieved 2024-04-02.
  4. ^ Gradziński, R.; Jerzykiewicz, T. (1974). "Sedimentation of the Barun Goyot Formation" (PDF). Palaeontologia Polonica. 30: 111−146.
  5. ^ Gradziński, R.; Jaworowska, Z. K.; Maryańska, T. (1977). "Upper Cretaceous Djadokhta, Barun Goyot and Nemegt formations of Mongolia, including remarks on previous subdivisions". Acta Geologica Polonica. 27 (3): 281–326.
  6. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.11.018
    .
  7. doi:10.1111/zoj.12185
    .
  8. PMID 33737515
    .
  9. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105168
    .
  10. S2CID 247222017
    .
  11. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2009.09.001
    .
  12. S2CID 231597229
    .
  13. ISSN 0003-0082
    .
  14. PMID 29868277
    .
  15. S2CID 132780322
    .
  16. ^ Sullivan, R. M. (2006). "A taxonomic review of the Pachycephalosauridae (Dinosauria: Ornithischia)". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin (35): 347–365.
  17. PMID 22347465
    .
  18. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.10.023
    .
  19. ^ Kurzanov, S. M.; Bannikov, A. F. (1983). "A new sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia". Paleontological Journal. 2: 90−96.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Natovenator&oldid=1216820795"