This newly uncovered skeleton, measuring approximately 11 meters long, lived around 90 million years ago in what is now Patagonia. The dinosaur, a member of the carcharodontosaur family, offers fresh insights into the anatomy and lifestyle of these prehistoric predators.
Named Taurovenator violantei, the fossil remains were found in the Pueblo Blanco Natural Reserve, located about 25 kilometers south of El Chocón in Río Negro Province, Argentina, a region renowned for its rich fossil beds. In addition to the discovery of fossils from turtles and fish, several dinosaur species have been unearthed in the area, including the fearsome abelisaurid Tralkasaurus cuyi, the small-winged paravian Overoraptor chimentoi, the unusual theropod Gualicho shinyae, the swift ornithopod Chakisaurus nekul, and the enormous sauropod Chucarosaurus diripienda.
The name Taurovenator means "bull hunter," combining the Greek word for bull (Tauro*) with the Latin word for hunter (-venator), a nod to its fearsome appearance, which included horns above its eyes. The species name violantei honors the Violante family.
The discovery, made in 2018, was the result of efforts by a team of paleontologists from the Laboratory of Comparative Anatomy and Vertebrate Evolution (LACEV) and the Félix de Azara Natural History Foundation, both part of CONICET, in collaboration with researchers from Japan’s National Museum of Nature & Science. The expedition was funded by the National Geographic Society and supported by the Secretary of Culture of Río Negro.
Based on the newly discovered remains, "we estimate that Taurovenator reached about 11 meters in length and weighed close to 5 tons," says Dr. Mauro Aranciaga Rolando, a CONICET PhD student and the lead researcher on the project. "This places it among the ranks of giant Argentine carnivores like Giganotosaurus and Tyrannotitan"
The research also shed light on lesser-known features of closely-related species, such as Giganotosaurus and Meraxes. For instance, Taurovenator had relatively short arms compared to its massive body. "This matches findings in other family members like Meraxes, suggesting that arm reduction was an evolutionary trend within this group of carnivores, offering clues to the mechanisms behind this reduction," explains Dr. Matías Motta, a CONICET researcher.
In addition, Taurovenator provides new details about the structure of carcharodontosaur necks, showing unique features in the vertebrae for the first time. "In most dinosaurs, the neck vertebrae connect through areas called zygapophyses. However, Taurovenator has additional connecting points between its vertebrae, making its neck much stiffer. We’ve observed similar traits in other carcharodontosaurs, and we propose that this might be a defining feature of this group," says Aranciaga Rolando.
The study, published in the journal The Science of Nature, offers new hypotheses about the functional significance of this unusually rigid neck. “Taurovenator, like other carcharodontosaurs, had a massive skull measuring 1.3 meters in length. This reinforcement in the neck may have helped support its weight during movement or hunting”, suggests Dr. Federico Agnolín, a member of LACEV and the Azara Foundation. "These changes in the neck likely correlate with adaptations in the muscles that allowed it to support such a large skull," Agnolín adds.
Taurovenator is now recognized as the largest predator known from the Pueblo Blanco Natural Reserve, adding to the rich fossil history of Río Negro Province. Discoveries like this offer a valuable glimpse into the ancient past of Argentina.
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