Genus
Valid Extinct

Microvenator

Ostrom 1970

Microvenator is a genus of oviraptorosaurian theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Cloverly Formation in what is now south central Montana. The holotype fossil is an incomplete skeleton, most likely a juvenile with a length of 1.3 m (4.3 ft), and consequently, the adult size remains uncertain. Microvenator is primitive and may be the "sister taxon to all other oviraptorosaurs."

Temporal range
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
252 201 145 66 0 Ma
PBDB occurrences
4
Group
Dinosaures
Omnivore Ground dwelling (surface) Terrestrial
Microvenator
click to enlarge
Skeletal reconstruction of Microvenator celer. © Jaime A. Headden (User:Qilong) · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia
PBDB ↗ Wikipedia ↗
Classification
Dinosauria Unranked clade
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Theropoda Unranked clade
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Neotheropoda Unranked clade
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Averostra Unranked clade
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Tetanurae Unranked clade
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Coelurosauria Unranked clade
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Maniraptora Unranked clade
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Oviraptorosauria Infraorder
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Caenagnathidae Family
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Microvenator Genus
Fossil sites 4 geolocated sites
Distribution
Top countries
🇺🇸 United States
4
Geological formations
Cloverly
4
Temporal distribution
Albian (113.2–100.5 Ma)
4
Species (2)
Microvenator celer 121 Ma
Microvenator chagyabi
Images 1
Bibliography
Original description
J. H. Ostrom. 1970. Stratigraphy and paleontology of the Cloverly Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of the Bighorn Basin area, Wyoming and Montana. Peabody Museum Bulletin 35:1-234
Bibliography (3)
M. P. J. Oreska, M. T. Carrano, and K. M. Dzikiewicz. 2013. Vertebrate paleontology of the Cloverly Formation (Lower Cretaceous), I: faunal composition, biogeographic relationships, and sampling. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 33(2):264-292 DOI ↗
W. D. Maxwell. 1993. Neonate dinosaur remains and dinosaur eggshell from the Lower Cretaceous Cloverly Formation, Montana. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 13(3, suppl.):49A
J. H. Ostrom. 1970. Stratigraphy and paleontology of the Cloverly Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of the Bighorn Basin area, Wyoming and Montana. Peabody Museum Bulletin 35:1-234