Viavenator Temporal range: Late Cretaceous | |
---|---|
A drawing of Viavenator | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Suborder: | Theropoda |
Viavenator (vy-ah-ven-ah-tor) meaning "road hunter" is a carnivorous theropod dinosaur from Argentina, South America. It was described in 2016.
The holotype of Viavenator exxoni (MAU-Pv-LI-530) was found in the outcrops of the Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Santonian, Upper Cretaceous), northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. Cranial elements of this specimen include the complete neurocranium: frontals, parietals, sphenethmoids, orbitosphenoids, laterosphenoids, prootics, opisthotics, supraoccipital, exoccipitals, basioccipital, parasphenoids and basisphenoids. The cranial endocast of Viavenator measures 157.7 mm from the olfactory bulbs to the foramen magnum, with a volume of approximately 141.6 cm3. The general shape of cranial endocast is elongate and narrow, similar to Aucasaurus and Majungasaurus. The widest part of the cranial endocast of Viavenator is at the level of the cerebral hemispheres. Four blood vessel foramina are recognized in the braincase: the caudal middle cerebral vein, the rostral middle cerebral vein, the cerebral internal carotid artery and the sphenoid artery.