Newly Discovered Dinosaur From Brazil Dubbed ‘Godfather of T.rex’
Erythrovenator jacuiensis lived almost 150 million years before the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex…
A new genus of a Late Triassic dinosaur has recently been discovered in Brazil. Recovered from the Candelária Formation in the Paraná Basin, Erythrovenator jacuiensis is one of the oldest known theropods - the group that would eventually include the likes of Allosaurus, Tyrannosaurus, and birds.
Description
The name Erythrovenator translates to “red hunter”, in reference to the red color of its holotype. The holotype is based on a single, extremely fragmented proximal portion of the left femur measuring only 190 millimeters in length.
The newly discovered dinosaur is estimated to have been around 2 meters (6.5 ft) long. While small compared to its later descendants, it was no less deadly. Its jaws were full of sharp, blade-like teeth that would have enabled it to hunt down live prey. Its diet would have consisted of lizards, primitive mammals, and insects.
Paleontologist Dr. Rodrigo Muller, of the Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, said: “You could say it is the ‘Godfather’ of T.rex. Despite the small size, the animal was an apex predator. It was a fast and…
