Fun Viavenator Facts For Kids

Viavenator exxoni is a rather new abelisaurid dinosaur species to have been found. This genus, along with Carnotaurus was put into a newly formed clade called Furileusauria.

While the complete skeleton of the type species is yet to be found, the specimens that have been excavated from the Bajo de la Carpa include cervical vertebrae, dorsal vertebrae, a cranial piece, and other ribs. These specimens were enough to find an estimate of the length, weight, diet, and geological period of the species Viavenator.

One of the lesser-known facts about this genus is the fact that they are estimated to have had very good hearing abilities. In fact, in spite of being carnivorous, the Viavenator genus is estimated to have liked the company of various other ancient (and now, extinct) animals.

Viavenator Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Viavenator'?

The name of this genus is pronounced as "why-ah-way-nay-ter".

What type of dinosaur was a Viavenator?

Viavenator exxoni was an abelisaurid theropod genus of the upper cretaceous period. In fact, this species, which is the only recognized species of the genus Viavenator, is known to be the latest cretaceous abelisaurids to have been found.

In which geological period did the Viavenator roam the earth?

Research suggests that these abelisaurids, the Viavenator exxoni, lived on earth during the upper cretaceous period, particularly, the Santonian of the upper cretaceous. If you happen to be wondering how long ago that would be, you will be astounded to know that the Santonian age of the upper cretaceous period was around 83 million years ago!

When did the Viavenator become extinct?

The exact time of extinction of the Viavenator is not known, however, we do know that the animals of the cretaceous period died from a massive meteor collision that earth had met with.

Where did a Viavenator live?

While we hardly know exactly what earth would have looked like 83 million years ago, it is hardly a matter of surprise that most paleontologists assume earth to have been lush green and wondrous.

The fact that these animals were carnivorous suggests that they would live in rich, lush forests and other vegetated lands, in order to have open access to an array of assorted prey to feed on!

What was a Viavenator's habitat?

The fossil remains, as well as the holotype specimen of the type species, Viavenator exxoni, has been discovered from a site known as Bajo de la Carpa formation, in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. This suggests that this species of theropods were South American - if we are talking in terms of modern-day geography.

Who did a Viavenator live with?

The Viavenator is estimated to have been a rather socially active genus of theropods. These animals are said to have enjoyed the company of various creatures such as Dinilysia, Patagonia (snake species), Notosuchus (crocodylomorph), and Traukutitan (titanosaur).

How long did a Viavenator live?

Research has neither been able to tell us the average lifespan of an animal of the Viavenator genus, neither are there any proofs that would tell us the longevity of the species on earth.

Although, it is known that these South American dinosaurs were a transitional form since cretaceous research says that the features of the fossils of these animals are a mix of the basal Brachyrostan, and the derived forms of abelisaurids.

This gives us a rough estimation to assume that this species did not live, without mutations, for a long time.

How did they reproduce?

Dinosaurs, through cretaceous and Jurassic research, are known to have been oviparous - this means that these animals reproduced by laying eggs. There are no clues as yet that would suggest that the Viavenator exxoni from the Bajo de la Carpa formation was an exception to this observation.

The courting habits, if any, and the nesting habits of the genus are not known.

Viavenator Fun Facts

What did a Viavenator look like?

The fossil remains found in Argentina include a few dorsal vertebrae, dorsal ribs, cervical ribs, caudal vertebrae, and an incomplete skull.

The length of the cervical ribs suggests that these animals had a long neck, while the caudal vertebrae and skull present in the plethora of specimens tell us that the animal was an intermediate between other abelisaurids such as Skorpiovenator.

The complex brain features of the Viavenator were found to be very similar to that of the Aucasaurus.

In particular, CT scans of the skull and the inner ear revealed one of the most interesting facts; these dinosaurs had exceptionally good hearing power!

How many bones did a Viavenator have?

Since the complete skeleton of the Viavenator genus is yet to be discovered, the total number of bones that this abelisaurid dinosaur had cannot be estimated.

How did they communicate?

There is no concrete evidence or research that would be able to tell us the exact model of communication that this abelisaurid theropod genus was adapted to, however, the fact that these animals preferred to live in groups and the ginormous size is suggestive of them having a rather loud call.

How big was a Viavenator?

The average length of a Viavenator is estimated to have been 18.3 ft (5.5 m)! You will be astonished to know that even at such an enormous size, these dinosaurs are considered to be of average size in the array of animals in of the family Abelisauridae.

How fast could a Viavenator move?

While studies do not tell us much about the agility levels of these dinosaurs, it can be assumed from their features, such as the vertebrae, strong hind legs, and considerably bulky built - that these animals would not have been the most speedy of their times.

How much did a Viavenator weigh?

The average weight of these abelisaurids (cretaceous) is said to have been around 1719.61 lb (780 kg). Those numbers bring to understand the assumption about the agility of the genus, don't they?

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no distinct names for the two sexes of the Viavenator exxoni, and hence, we have resorted to referring to them as the male Viavenator and the female Viavenator.

What would you call a baby Viavenator?

Since dinosaurs are known to have been oviparous, the baby Viavenator exxoni (Filippi et al. 2016) would be called a hatchling - although we do understand how difficult it must be to associate such a name with such gigantic creatures!

What did they eat?

The name "Viavenator" literally translates to "road hunter", and hence, the diet of the genus is hardly a matter that would require extensive research. This member of the family Abelisauridae exhibits typical features, as well as the intensively carnivorous diet!

How aggressive were they?

Since Viavenators were carnivorous, it is assumed that they were aggressive. However, these dinosaurs are assumed to have been peaceful within the same community, which is a feature common to similar animals that occurred before and after the Viavenator genus, such as Carnotaurus, Majungasaurus, and Aucasaurus.

Did you know...

The Viavenator exxoni is related to dinosaurs such as Skorpiovenator, Majungasaurus, and Carnotaurus.

Viavenators are more closely related to Carnotaurus since they belong to the same abelisaurid clade of Furileusauria.

These dinosaurs are known to be one of the latest cretaceous abelisaurids to have been discovered.

The cranial specimen of the species suggests that the Viavenator had good hearing skills. However, this ability may have been compromised by the fact that these animals were heavy and could hardly catch prey fast enough!

Is Viavenator from Argentina?

The holotype specimen of the Viavenator exxoni was found in the Bajo de la Carpa Formation in Argentina, as a part of cretaceous research. Hence, due to the lack of fossilized remains in other parts of the world, it may be assumed that these dinosaurs were from modern-day Argentina.

What does Viavenator mean?

The name of this abelisaurid theropod, "Viavenator" is derived from Latin. "Via" means "road", and "venator" means "hunter" - together, they form the term "road hunter"! 

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover!

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Viavenator coloring pages.

Main image by Ezequiel Vera and second image by Paleocolour.