Kingdom Animalia Superorder Dinosauria Infraorder Carnosauria Phylum Chordata Order Saurischia | Class Sauropsida Suborder Theropoda Family Carcharodontosauridae Rank Genus | |
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Similar Aoniraptor, Megaraptora, Shidaisaurus, Kelmayisaurus, Viavenator | ||
Taurovenator is a medium-sized carcharodontosaurid theropod from the late Cretaceous of Argentina. Discovered by Matias Motta in 2005 and formally described in 2016, it is represented by an isolated right postorbital.
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Etymology
The tauro~ prefix in the generic name Taurovenator comes from the Latin taurus, meaning "bull", and venator meaning "hunter". The specific name name honors Enzo Violante, the owner of the Violante farm where the animal was discovered.
Discovery
The remains of Taurovenator were discovered in a layer of the Huincul Formation on the Violante Farm, southeast of the Ezequiel Ramos-Mexía lake, Río Negro province, Argentina, by Matías Motta in 2005. Taurovenator was found alongside the megaraptoran Aoniraptor and indeterminate remains of other Carcharodontosauridae, as well as abelisauroids and Paraves. This diverse assemblage of theropods was part of the Huincul formation in Neuquen Province. They shared this environment with Mapusaurus, Argentinosaurus, Skorpiovenator and Ilokelesia.