In a remarkable find, Argentine scientists have uncovered bones of a carnivorous dinosaur, Taurovenator Violantei, in Río Negro, dating back over 90 million years. The discovery, which includes skull bones, hind limbs, and elements of the rib cage, was made in the Pueblo Blanco Natural Reserve, approximately 25 kilometers from El Chocón.
This dinosaur, weighing around 5 tons and measuring 11 meters in length, provides significant insights into the evolutionary traits of large predators. The research, conducted between 2018 and 2023, has been published in the journal The Science of Nature.
Experts from the Fundación de Historia Natural 'Félix de Azara' of CONICET, along with paleontologists from the Comparative Anatomy and Evolution of Vertebrates Laboratory (LACEV) and scientists from Japan's National Museum of Nature and Science, contributed to this groundbreaking study.
Rolando Aranciaga, a CONICET fellow, noted, "The cervical vertebrae of dinosaurs typically connect through joints called zygapophyses. However, Taurovenator exhibits extra connection zones, resulting in increased neck rigidity. We have observed similar features in other carcharodontosaurids, suggesting this may be a distinctive trait of these carnivorous dinosaurs." This structural adaptation likely arose to support the dinosaur's large skull.
The initial findings of Taurovenator Violantei were made in the same reserve in 2013, with subsequent expeditions in 2018, 2019, and 2023 yielding additional remains.
The name Taurovenator translates to 'bull hunter,' derived from the Greek 'tauro' for bull and the Latin 'venator' for hunter, while the species name 'violantei' honors the Violante family, landowners where the fossils were discovered.