Arcovenator

Arcovenator was a medium-sized predatory abelisaurid that inhabited the European archipelago during the Late Cretaceous, roughly 73 million years ago. Discovered during motorway construction near Aix-en-Provence in southern France, its fossils include a partial braincase, jaw fragments, vertebrae, and hind limb material. Estimated at five to six metres in length, Arcovenator had a thick, rugose skull roof characteristic of abelisaurs, which may have carried low display bosses. The discovery of Arcovenator was scientifically significant because it confirmed that abelisaurids, specifically members of the Majungasaurinae subfamily, had established successful populations in Europe, challenging long-held assumptions that this lineage was strictly confined to the southern Gondwanan landmasses.

It revealed that abelisaurids were widespread across the European archipelago during the Late Cretaceous.

Where and when

Arcovenator lived in the Late Cretaceous, from 74 to 72 million years ago (Campanian age). Its remains come from France, in the Argiles et Grès à Dinosaures Formation.

The numbers

Length 5.5 m (estimates run from 5 to 6 m). Mass about 710 kg. Hip height about 1.7 m. That is 3.2 human-lengths, or 0.49 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, hip height.

Compare Arcovenator with a bus Place on the timeline