Dracovenator
Encyclopedia
Dracovenator is the name of a genus
of dinosaur
from the Early Jurassic
. It was a theropod which lived in what is now South Africa
.
The type species
, Dracovenator regenti, was formally described by A.M. Yates in 2006. The genus name is a contraction of the Latin
draco, "dragon", and venator, "hunter". Found in the Elliot Formation
, it was according to a first cladistic analysis forming a clade
with the basal theropods Dilophosaurus
and Zupaysaurus
in this analysis. Only a partial skull has been recovered.
Dracovenator is estimated to have measured between 5.5 and 6.5 meters (18 and 21 feet) in length.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
from the Early Jurassic
Early Jurassic
The Early Jurassic epoch is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic period...
. It was a theropod which lived in what is now South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
, Dracovenator regenti, was formally described by A.M. Yates in 2006. The genus name is a contraction of the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
draco, "dragon", and venator, "hunter". Found in the Elliot Formation
Elliot Formation
The Elliot Formation is a geological formation dating to roughly 210 to 190 million years ago and covering the Norian to Sinemurian stages. The Elliot Formation is found in South Africa and Lesotho and is a member of the Stormberg Group. It consists mainly of limestone, sandstone, and mudstone...
, it was according to a first cladistic analysis forming a clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
with the basal theropods Dilophosaurus
Dilophosaurus
Dilophosaurus was a theropod dinosaur from the Sinemurian stage of the Early Jurassic Period, about 193 million years ago. The first specimens were described in 1954, but it was not until over a decade later that the genus received its current name...
and Zupaysaurus
Zupaysaurus
Zupaysaurus is a genus of early theropod dinosaur living during the Rhaetian stage of the Late Triassic to Hettangian stage of the Early Jurassic of what is now Argentina. Although a full skeleton has not yet been discovered, Zupaysaurus can be considered a bipedal predator, up to 4 meters ...
in this analysis. Only a partial skull has been recovered.
Dracovenator is estimated to have measured between 5.5 and 6.5 meters (18 and 21 feet) in length.