Phuwiangvenator is an extinct genus of megaraptoran dinosaur that lived in Thailand during the Early Cretaceous.
Description[]
Phuwiangvenator is the most basal megaraptorid dinosaur known. Though discovered in 1993, it was described in 2019. i is known from ten partial skeletons, with preserved wrist bones, dorsal and sacral vertebrae, and metatarsals present. Two specimens, one of which does not have (or was not given) a specimen ID, are also noted. Another specimen, stated to be the same individual as the holotype (based on size, shape and phylogenetics), was recovered from the same locality and was described in 2021. It is an incomplete fibula and left and right metatarsals. A long, deep fossa between the lateral and medial distal condyles of the metatarsal II is a new autapomorphy seen here. Metatarsal III is short and more similar to Concavenator, being more gracile than basal allosauroids. The hindlimb is proportioned similar to Neovenator. They find Phuwiangvenator has a morphology shared with allosauroids, basal coelurosaurs and may be intermediate of non-megaraptorids and megaraptorids.
Classification[]
Phuwiangvenator, along with Vayuraptor, is one of the basalmost megaraptorans known. Phuwiangvenator is recovered as the sister taxon to Aoniraptor, Megaraptoridae, Siats andVayuraptor.
Paleobiology[]
Paleopathology[]
Samathi et al. (2023) describe a traumatic greenstick fracture on a metatarsal assigned to this taxon, being the first paleopathological element assignable to Megaraptora to be fully described in detail. It was determined to be of the greenstick variety based on how the bone did not fully break, with the fracture being only on one side and twisting in the opposite direction as the external force that caused the injury; likely being caused by accidentally hitting/kicking a hard material, fighting or falling over. The individual, an adolescent, would have survived. At the time of description, the only other theropod to bear this injury is Akansaurus.
Notable Specimens[]
- SM-PW9B: The holotype of Phuwiangvenator, consisting of vertebrae, foot bones, parts of the pelvis, and parts of the wrist. An incomplete fibula and left and right metatarsals were noted to be from this individual in 2021.
Paleoecology[]
The animal lived with Vayuraptor, a closely related predator in the Sao Khua Formation of Thailand.
References[]
- https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=387579
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phuwiangvenator
- http://app.pan.pl/SOM/app64-Samathi_etal_SOM.pdf
- https://paleobiodb.org/classic/basicTaxonInfo?taxon_no=387580
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667121003414
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08912963.2023.2166833?journalCode=ghbi20#.Y8GZFmZTm20.twitter