Name: Australovenator
(Southern hunter).
Phonetic: Aw-strah-low-ven-ah-tor.
Named By: Scott Kocknull et al. - 2009.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria,
Saurischia, Theropoda, Neovenatoridae, Megaraptora.
Species: A. wintonensis
(type).
Type: Carnivore.
Size: Estimated 6 meters long.
Known locations: Australia, Queensland, Winton
Formation.
Time period: Aptian of the Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Partial post cranial
skeleton, partial left dentary (lower jaw bone).
Much
of Australovenator is missing but the parts which
are known show a
lightweight and fast carnivore that could run down its prey. Study of
the fossils have also brought similarities and comparisons between
Fukuiraptor
from Japan, and Megaraptor from South America,
and for this reasons Australovenator is usually
termed as a megaraptoran
theropod dinosaur.
Australovenator
was given the nickname 'Banjo', in reference to the Australian
poet Banjo Patterson. References to Banjo and his works were also
made for the sauropod
dinosaurs Wintonotitan
and Diamantinasaurus,
both also from the Winton
Formation and named in the same year as Australovenator.
Further reading
- New mid-Cretaceous (latest Albian) dinosaurs from Winton, Queensland,
Australia. - PLoS ONE 4(7):e6190: 1-51. - S. A. Hocknull, M. A. White,
T. R. Tischler, A. G. Cook, N. D. Calleja, T. Sloan & D. A.
Elliot - 2009.
- New Forearm Elements Discovered of Holotype Specimen Australovenator
wintonensis from Winton, Queensland, Australia. - In Dodson,
Peter.
PLoS ONE 7 (6). - M. A. White, A. G. Cook, S. A. Hocknull, T. Sloan, G.
H. K. Sinapius & D. A. Elliot - 2012.
- Morphological comparisons of metacarpal I for Australovenator
wintonensis and Rapator ornitholestoides:
Implications for their
taxonomic relationships. - Alcheringa: an Australasian Journal of
Palaeontology: 1. - M. A. White, P. L. Falkingham, A. G. Cook, S. A.
Hocknull & D. A. Elliot - 2013.
- Forearm Range of Motion in Australovenator wintonensis
(Theropoda,
Megaraptoridae). - PLOS ONE. 10 (9): e0137709. - Matt A. White, Phil R.
Bell, Alex G. Cook, David G. Barnes, Travis R. Tischler, Brant J.
Bassam & David A. Elliot - 2015.
- The pes of Australovenator wintonensis
(Theropoda: Megaraptoridae):
analysis of the pedal range of motion and biological restoration. -
PeerJ. 4: e2312. - Matt A. White, Alex G. Cook , Ada. J. Klinkhamer
& David A. Ellio - 2016.
- A methodology of theropod print replication utilising the pedal
reconstruction of Australovenator and a simulated paleo-sediment. -
PeerJ. 5: e3427. - Matt. A. White, Alex G. Cook & Steven J.
Rumbold - 2017.