Describer

Ostrom, 1970

Time

Cretaceous Early Aptian Albian

Classification

Saurischia Theropoda Tetanurae Coelurosauria

Diet

Carnivore

Fossilsite

Cloverly Formation Montana, Wyoming, US

Info

Genus - Typespecies - Skull

A fragmentary skeleton, including parts of the skull (verry fragmented), parts of 17 precacral vertrbrae, 1 sacral, 9 caudals, and several fragments of the appendicular skeleton (coracoid ,humerus, ulna,pubes, phalanges, femur, tibia, fibula) Ostrom compared Microvenator with a variety of theropods, and concluded that is was most probably related to \\\\\\\"coelurids\\\\\\\" that is, Compsognathus, Ornitholestes, and Coelurus.

More recently Gauthier (1986) reassessed Mircovenator and placed it as a maniraptoran on the basis of four characters: elongate forlimb, bowed ulna, reduction of the cranial part of the pubic foot, and absence of a crested fourth trochanter. Although not a great deal is known of this specimen, the characters of the forelimb and hindlimb are suggestive not only of Maniraptora but also of the Ornithomimidae.