Saltriovenator, the oldest large theropod

[Logo7]

The nomen nudum Saltriosaurus has finally been published after twenty years as the new genus Saltriovenator zanellai ("Zanella's Saltrio hunter"). Its genus name originates from Saltrio, the area of northern Italy where it was discovered, and the Latin word "venator," meaning "hunter." Its species name originates from Angello Zanella, the amateur paleontologist who first discovered the animal's skeleton. The new paper describing it classifies it as a ceratosaur, confirms that it is the first Jurassic dinosaur from Italy, and reveals that it is the oldest known ceratosaur and the oldest known large theropod (defined as a theropod with a mass approaching 1,000 kgs). It also helps to suggest that the fourth finger of early theropods disappeared as they evolved, with the three fingers of Saltriovenator and later theropods eventually leading to bird wings. Here's a skeletal of the new animal from the paper showing the known material and the bones used to describe it, along with a reconstruction of the animal by Davide Bonadonna.





Paper (open access!): https://peerj.com/articles/5976/?fbclid=IwAR0OWQuS59EtVyIKpX7uQEQY3bDhRd_JY4LTb9tBqyUjHpEEgvcyVo9xi4E#aff-2

[amargasaurus cazaui]

then what about herrerrasaurus....

[Logo7]

The paper states that "large theropod" means any theropod with a mass approaching 1,000 kgs. Herrerasaurus doesn't even come close to that weight. But you're right that I should have made that more clear in the announcement post. Will update accordingly.

[Papi-Anon]

Thinking back, the ambiguous archosaur Smok was believed by some to have been a primitive theropod with weight estimates clocking it in conservatively at 1,000kg. But interesting that it was a ceratosaur to be the first theropod to get that achievement trophy.