In Depth
Much of Australovenator is missing but the parts which are known show a lightweight and fast carnivore that could run down its prey. Study of the fossils have also brought similarities and comparisons between Fukuiraptor from Japan, and Megaraptor from South America, and for this reasons Australovenator is usually termed as a megaraptoran theropod dinosaur.
Australovenator was given the nickname ‘Banjo’, in reference to the Australian poet Banjo Patterson. References to Banjo and his works were also made for the sauropod dinosaurs Wintonotitan and Diamantinasaurus, both also from the Winton Formation and named in the same year as Australovenator.
Further Reading
– New mid-Cretaceous (latest Albian) dinosaurs from Winton, Queensland, Australia. – PLoS ONE 4(7):e6190: 1-51. – S. A. Hocknull, M. A. White, T. R. Tischler, A. G. Cook, N. D. Calleja, T. Sloan & D. A. Elliot – 2009. – New Forearm Elements Discovered of Holotype Specimen Australovenator wintonensis from Winton, Queensland, Australia. – In Dodson, Peter. PLoS ONE 7 (6). – M. A. White, A. G. Cook, S. A. Hocknull, T. Sloan, G. H. K. Sinapius & D. A. Elliot – 2012. – Morphological comparisons of metacarpal I for Australovenator wintonensis and Rapator ornitholestoides: Implications for their taxonomic relationships. – Alcheringa: an Australasian Journal of Palaeontology: 1. – M. A. White, P. L. Falkingham, A. G. Cook, S. A. Hocknull & D. A. Elliot – 2013. – Forearm Range of Motion in Australovenator wintonensis (Theropoda, Megaraptoridae). – PLOS ONE. 10 (9): e0137709. – Matt A. White, Phil R. Bell, Alex G. Cook, David G. Barnes, Travis R. Tischler, Brant J. Bassam & David A. Elliot – 2015. – The pes of Australovenator wintonensis (Theropoda: Megaraptoridae): analysis of the pedal range of motion and biological restoration. – PeerJ. 4: e2312. – Matt A. White, Alex G. Cook , Ada. J. Klinkhamer & David A. Ellio – 2016. – A methodology of theropod print replication utilising the pedal reconstruction of Australovenator and a simulated paleo-sediment. – PeerJ. 5: e3427. – Matt. A. White, Alex G. Cook & Steven J. Rumbold – 2017.
