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Fukuivenator Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 125–115 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Reconstructed skeleton
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	Theropoda
Clade:	Maniraptoriformes
Clade:	Maniraptora
Genus:	†Fukuivenator Azuma et al., 2016
Species:	†F. paradoxus
Binomial name
†Fukuivenator paradoxus Azuma et al., 2016

Fukuivenator ("hunter of Fukui Prefecture") is an extinct genus of maniraptoran theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Japan.

Discovery and naming

The type species Fukuivenator paradoxus was named and described in 2016 by Yoichi Azuma, Xu Xing, Masateru Shibata, Soichiro Kawabe, Kazunori Miyata and Takuya Imai. The generic name combines a reference to the Fukui prefecture with Latin venator, "hunter". The specific name refers to the paradoxical combination of traits shown by the species.

The rocks in which the skeleton of Fukuivenator, holotype FPDM-V8461, was found in August 2007 belong to the Kitadani Formation, which is probably of Barremian or Aptian age. Radiometric dating of nearby rock units has given this formation an estimated age of somewhere between 127 and 115 million years old. The holotype consists of a partial skeleton with skull. The skeleton of F. paradoxus is currently the most complete non-avian dinosaur fossil found in Japan. The remains, including about 160 bones and bone fragments, were not found in articulation and recovered from an area of 50 by 50 centimetres (20 in × 20 in).

Description

Fukuivenator had an estimated length of 2.45 metres (8.0 ft) and an estimated weight of 25 kilograms (55 lb). Distinctive traits include spatulate teeth in the front praemaxillae, pointed, recurved and unserrated teeth in the maxillae and a long neck with elongated neck vertebrae.

Classification

The anatomy of Fukuivenator shows a unique combination of primitive and advanced coelurosaurian features. A phylogenetic analysis performed by the research team that described Fukuivenator found it to be a primitive member of the group Maniraptoriformes, in an unresolved position equally closely related to ornithomimosaurs, maniraptorans, and Ornitholestes. Several similarities with the Dromaeosauridae were explained as a case of convergent evolution. A 2021 study determined it a basal member of the therizinosaurs, as shown below:

Another enigmatic maniraptoran, Migmanychion, is supported as the closest taxon to Fukuivenator based on phylogenetic analyses:

Coelurosauria	Tyrannosauroidea Guanlong Tanycolagreus Coelurus Ornitholestes Therizinosauroidea Migmanychion Fukuivenator Ornithomimosauria Alvarezsauroidea Pennaraptora Oviraptorosauria Paraves Dromaeosauridae Troodontidae Avialae

Paleobiology

Diet

Because of the long neck and the heterodont unserrated teeth, the probably foremost of which had flattened outer ends, the describing authors suggested that Fukuivenator was no longer a pure carnivore but had adapted itself to a herbivorous or at least omnivorous diet.

See also

• 2016 in paleontology

References

1. ^ Azuma, Y., Xu X., Shibata, M., Kawabe, S., Miyata, K., and Imai, T. 2016. "A bizarre theropod from the Early Cretaceous of Japan highlighting mosaic evolution among coelurosaurians". Scientific Reports, 6(20478). doi:10.1038/srep20478
2. Hattori, S.; Kawabe, S.; Imai, T.; Shibata, M.; Miyata, K.; Xu, X.; Azuma, Y. (2021). "Osteology of Fukuiraptor paradoxus: A bizarre maniraptoran theropod from the Early Cretaceous of Fukui, Japan" (PDF). Memoir of the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. 20: 1–82.
3. Wang, Xuri; Cau, Andrea; Wang, Zhengdong; Yu, Kaifeng; Wu, Wenhao; Wang, Yang; Liu, Yichuan (5 June 2023). "A new theropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Longjiang Formation of Inner Mongolia (China)". Cretaceous Research. 151: 105605. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105605. ISSN 0195-6671.

v t e Maniraptora
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Dinosauria Clade: Theropoda Clade: Maniraptoriformes Avemetatarsalia see Avemetatarsalia Theropoda see Theropoda Maniraptora see below↓
Maniraptora Maniraptora †Elopteryx? †Fukuivenator? †Kakuru? †Migmanychion †Yaverlandia? †Alvarezsauroidea Achillesaurus Aorun? Bannykus Bonapartenykus Haplocheirus Patagonykus Shishugounykus Tugulusaurus? Xiyunykus Alvarezsauridae Achillesaurus? Alnashetri Alvarezsaurus Bonapartenykus? Bradycneme Heptasteornis Patagonykus? Parvicursorinae Dzharaonyx Jaculinykus Khulsanurus Kol? Nemegtonykus Ondogurvel Parvicursor Qiupanykus Trierarchuncus Ceratonykini Albinykus Ceratonykus Xixianykus Mononykini Albertonykus Linhenykus Mononykus Shuvuuia †Therizinosauria Eshanosaurus? Falcarius Fukuivenator? Jianchangosaurus Lingyuanosaurus Therizinosauroidea Alxasaurus Beipiaosaurus Enigmosaurus Martharaptor Suzhousaurus Therizinosauridae Erliansaurus Erlikosaurus Nanshiungosaurus Neimongosaurus Nothronychus Paralitherizinosaurus Segnosaurus Therizinosaurus Pennaraptora †Oviraptorosauria see Oviraptorosauria Paraves see below↓
Paraves Paraves †Palaeopteryx? †Pneumatoraptor †Rahonavis †Scansoriopterygidae? Ambopteryx Epidexipteryx Scansoriopteryx Yi †Anchiornithidae Anchiornis Aurornis Caihong Eosinopteryx Fujianvenator Liaoningvenator? Ostromia Pedopenna Serikornis Xiaotingia Yixianosaurus †Archaeopterygidae Alcmonavis? Archaeopteryx Wellnhoferia Anchiornithidae? †Dromaeosauridae see Dromaeosauridae †Troodontidae see Troodontidae Avialae †Alcmonavis †Balaur? †Cretaaviculus? †Fukuipteryx †Overoraptor †Rahonavis? †Yandangornis †Zhongornis †Anchiornithidae? †Archaeopterygidae? †Scansoriopterygidae? †Jeholornithiformes Dalianraptor? Jeholornis Jixiangornis? Kompsornis Neimengornis Pygostylia †"Proornis" †Omnivoropterygidae? Omnivoropteryx Sapeornis †Confuciusornithidae Changchengornis Confuciusornis Eoconfuciusornis Yangavis †Jinguofortisidae Chongmingia Cratonavis Jinguofortis Ornithothoraces †Enantiornithes see Enantiornithes Euornithes see below↓
Euornithes Euornithes †Archaeorhynchus †Bellulornis †Brevidentavis †Changmaornis †Changzuiornis †Chaoyangia †Dingavis †Eogranivora †Gargantuavis? †Hollanda †Horezmavis †Jianchangornis †Jiuquanornis †Juehuaornis †Kaririavis †Meemannavis †Platanavis †Vorona †Wyleyia? †Xinghaiornis †Yumenornis †Zhongjianornis †Schizoouridae Mengciusornis Schizooura †Patagopterygiformes Alamitornis Kuszholia? Patagopteryx †Ambiortiformes Ambiortus Apsaravis? Palintropus? †Hongshanornithidae Archaeornithura Hongshanornis Longicrusavis Parahongshanornis Tianyuornis †Songlingornithidae Hollanda? Piscivoravis? Songlingornis Yanornis? Yixianornis? †Yanornithidae Abitusavis Similiyanornis Yanornis †Gansuidae? Changzuiornis Gansus Hollanda? Iteravis Khinganornis Shuilingornis Ornithurae †Antarcticavis? †Apatornis †Cerebavis †Gallornis †Guildavis †Iaceornis †Kookne †Limenavis †Tingmiatornis †Ichthyornithes Ichthyornis Janavis †Hesperornithes Baptornis Brodavis Chupkaornis Enaliornis Judinornis Pasquiaornis Potamornis Hesperornithidae Asiahesperornis Canadaga Fumicollis Hesperornis Parahesperornis †Vegaviidae Australornis? Maaqwi? Neogaeornis? Polarornis Vegavis †Cimolopterygidae Ceramornis Cimolopteryx Lamarqueavis? Aves / Neornithes see below↓
Aves / Neornithes Palaeognathae see Palaeognathae Neognathae Neoaves Galloanserae Anserimorphae see Anserimorphae Pangalliformes see Pangalliformes Incertae sedis †Asteriornis †Perplexicervix †Qinornis? †Dromornithidae Barawertornis Dromornis Genyornis Ilbandornis †Gastornithiformes Brontornis? Gastornis Dromornithidae? †Pelagornithidae Aequornis Caspiodontornis Cyphornis Dasornis Gigantornis Laornis? Lutetodontopteris Macrodontopteryx Manu? Odontopteryx Odontoptila Osteodontornis Palaeochenoides Pelagornis Proceriavis? Protodontopteryx Protopelicanus? Pseudodontornis Tympanonesiotes
See also: Archaeornithes Carinatae Deinonychosauria Odontognathae Odontornithes Sauriurae Unenlagiidae Category

• Maniraptora
• Fossil taxa described in 2016
• Early Cretaceous dinosaurs of Asia
• Dinosaurs of Japan