# Philovenator

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Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Philovenator Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 75 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Life restoration Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Clade: Dinosauria Clade: Saurischia Clade: Theropoda Family: †Troodontidae Subfamily: †Troodontinae Genus: †Philovenator Xu et al., 2012 Species: †P. curriei Binomial name †Philovenator curriei Xu et al., 2012

***Philovenator*** (literally meaning "love hunter") is an [extinct](/source/Extinct) [genus](/source/Genus) of [troodontid](/source/Troodontid) [paravian](/source/Paravian) [dinosaurs](/source/Dinosaur) from the [Wulansuhai Formation](/source/Wulansuhai_Formation) (dated to the [Campanian](/source/Campanian) age, sometime between 75 and 71 million years ago) of [Inner Mongolia](/source/Inner_Mongolia), [China](/source/China). Its [specific name](/source/Specific_name_(zoology)) honors [Phillip J. Currie](/source/Phillip_J._Currie).

## Description

*Philovenator* is a [troodontid](/source/Troodontid), a group of small, bird-like, [gracile](/source/Gracility) [maniraptorans](/source/Maniraptora). All troodontids have many unique features of the skull, such as closely spaced [teeth](/source/Teeth) in the lower jaw, and large numbers of teeth. Troodontids have sickle-claws and [raptorial](/source/Raptorial) [hands](/source/Hands), and some of the highest non-[avian](/source/Bird) [encephalization quotients](/source/Encephalization_quotient), meaning they were behaviourally advanced and had keen senses.[1]

Several distinguishing traits were established in the initial description. The thighbone possesses a distinctive process at the inner side of the lower end. The shinbone has on the upper front side a plate-like cnemial crest, protruding far to the front. The condyles of the astragalus and calcaneum are wide, measured from the front to the rear, and are separated by a deep and narrow groove. The [metatarsus](/source/Metatarsus) has fused with the lower ankle bones into a very elongated and narrow tarsometatarsus, being 25% longer than the thighbone and twenty-five times longer than wide. Of this tarsometatarsus the thickness of the middle section of the shaft, measured from the front to the rear in a vertical position, is larger than its transverse width. The fourth [metatarsal](/source/Metatarsal) at its underside, if the bone is held in a horizontal position, has a flange along most of the shaft length, being almost as wide as the remainder of the shaft.[2]

## History of discovery

*Philovenator* is known from a single left hindlimb, first discovered in 1988 by the [China-Canada Dinosaur Project](/source/China-Canada_Dinosaur_Project). The specimen was catalogued as [IVPP](/source/Institute_of_Vertebrate_Paleontology_and_Paleoanthropology) V 10597. It was found in the [Wulansuhai Formation](/source/Wulansuhai_Formation), of [China](/source/China). In 1993, it was described, and assigned as a juvenile of *[Saurornithoides](/source/Saurornithoides)*. Its juvenile status is reflected by the small size of the type specimen which indicates a total body length of about two feet. The authors, [Philip J. Currie](/source/Philip_J._Currie) and Peng, did not find any [autapomorphies](/source/Autapomorphies) of *Saurornithoides*, but based on the then current knowledge of anatomy and genera, the assignment was reasonable. In 2011, *[Linhevenator](/source/Linhevenator)* was described, and IVPP V 10597 was shown to have many similarities to this new taxon, possibly being a juvenile. However, a 2012 study of the [histology](/source/Histology) and [osteology](/source/Osteology) of IVPP V 10597 determined that it was a new taxon related to *Linhevenator*, and it was named *Philovenator curriei* by [Xu Xing](/source/Xu_Xing_(paleontologist)) e.a.. The name is derived from "Phil" and "currie", for [Philip J. Currie](/source/Philip_J._Currie), as well as the [Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek) *φιλειν* (philein), "to love", and [Latin](/source/Latin) *venator*, or "hunter", suggesting it loved hunting.[2]

## Classification

The [phylogenetic](/source/Phylogenetic) relationships of [Troodontidae](/source/Troodontidae) were explored by Tsuihiji *et al.* (2014) using the data matrix published by Gao *et al.* (2012), a slightly modified version of Xu *et al.* (2011) analysis.[3] The resultant matrix includes 91 [coelurosaurs](/source/Coelurosaur) and outgroup taxa which are scored based on 363 morphological traits. *Philovenator* was recovered as an advanced [troodontid](/source/Troodontid), closely related to other Late Cretaceous troodontids, such as *[Saurornithoides](/source/Saurornithoides)* and *[Zanabazar](/source/Zanabazar_junior)* from Mongolia, and *[Troodon](/source/Troodon)* from [North America](/source/North_America). The [cladogram](/source/Cladogram) below shows the phylogenetic position of *Philovenator* among the Troodontidae following this analysis.

Paraves Avialae Deinonychosauria Dromaeosauridae Troodontidae Sinovenator Anchiornis Mei Talos Byronosaurus IGM 100/44 Sinornithoides Linhevenator Philovenator Gobivenator Troodon Saurornithoides Zanabazar

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Lüetal_1-0)** Junchang Lü; Li Xu; Yongqing Liu; Xingliao Zhang; Songhai Jia & Qiang Ji (2010). ["A new troodontid (Theropoda: Troodontidae) from the Late Cretaceous of central China, and the radiation of Asian troodontids"](http://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app55/app20090047.pdf) (PDF). *Acta Palaeontologica Polonica*. **55** (3): 381–388. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.4202/app.2009.0047](https://doi.org/10.4202%2Fapp.2009.0047).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-xuetal12_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-xuetal12_2-1) Xu Xing; Zhao Ji; Corwin Sullivan; Tan Qing-Wei; Martin Sander; Ma Qing-Yu (2012). ["The taxonomy of the troodontid IVPP V 10597 reconsidered"](http://www.ivpp.cas.cn/cbw/gjzdwxb/xbwzxz/201204/P020120423369968204026.pdf) (PDF). *Vertebrata PalAsiatica*. **50** (2): 140–150.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Mei2012_3-0)** Gao, C.; Morschhauser, E. M.; Varricchio, D. J.; Liu, J.; Zhao, B. (2012). Farke, Andrew A (ed.). ["A Second Soundly Sleeping Dragon: New Anatomical Details of the Chinese Troodontid *Mei long* with Implications for Phylogeny and Taphonomy"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459897). *PLOS ONE*. **7** (9) e45203. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2012PLoSO...745203G](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2012PLoSO...745203G). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1371/journal.pone.0045203](https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0045203). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [3459897](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459897). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [23028847](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23028847).

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Taxon identifiers Philovenator Wikidata: Q2327593 Wikispecies: Philovenator EoL: 42332918 GBIF: 8624626 Open Tree of Life: 6155714 Paleobiology Database: 243344

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Philovenator](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philovenator) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philovenator?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.