Wiehenvenator

Phylogeny: Dinosauria > Saurischia > Theropoda > Neotheropoda > Tetanurae > Megalosauroidea (?) > Megalosauridae > Megalosaurinae

Overview: Fossil specimens currently attributed to Wiehenvenator were first recovered back in the late 1990’s, in the northwest of Germany. Said remains consisted of a large portion of the skull, an assortment of tail vertebrae, a couple ribs, a finger bone, and part of the lower leg. The bones were recognized as those of a new dinosaur, but they would go without a formal description for some time. For a number of years, the animal was informally known as the “Monster of Minden”, referring to a town of the same name, located close to where it was found. Some early reports of the find in the media spoke of it being among the largest theropods known, but later estimates would turn out to be more conservative. Finally described in 2016, Wiehenvenator derives its name from the Wiehen Hills, among which it was discovered, within rocks belonging to the Ornatenton Formation.

Wiehenvenator is classified within the theropod family Megalosauridae, more specifically within a subfamily called the Megalosaurinae. Said group contains the megalosaurids that were particularly closely related to Megalosaurus itself, though the closest relative of this genus was most likely the genus Torvosaurus – the largest megalosaurid. Wiehenvenator itself was no slouch in terms of size, growing to be between eight and nine meters in length, so larger than Megalosaurus. It possessed a long, rectangular skull, similar to those of its close relatives, with relatively strong jaws. Its arms, based on what we know from its relatives, were relatively short, but quite muscular. Each hand sported a set of three clawed digits. Wiehenvenator was likely one of the top predators of its region, though a fossil specimen possibly belonging to Torvosaurus may also be known from the Ornatenton.