Asfaltovenator: One of the Best Theropods from the Middle Jurassic

Asfaltovenator might be one of the most important theropods known from the middle Jurassic. The middle Jurassic can be characterized by two things. A lot of rapid evolution and diversification. And almost no fossils of those diversifying animals. Asfaltovenator comes from this period, and with its odd assortment of characters is one of the best looks we have into this interesting period in dinosaur history.
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[@kawawangkowboy9566]

This is absolutely the best channel for short-to-mid-length videos on paleo stuff

[@RaptorChatter]

That's the goal!

[@mhdfrb9971]

Middle Jurassic are the most underrated period for Dinosaurs and it's also the coldest of all periods in the Mesozoic, though still warmer than today's climate. The Mesozoic Ice Age I would say.

[@RaptorChatter]

Definitely! I think being warmer, than today, but cooler than the rest of the Mesozoic is a super interesting trait of the middle Jurassic. It had come off of the Early Jurassic warm period, cooled some, things diversified, and then it was warmer through the end Cretaceous, it's a bit odd of a time in earth's history, and I wouldn't be shocked if that had something to do with the diversity.

[@nickkorkodylas5005]

Hippies tell us to reduce CO2 emissions, I, a sophisticate, say we increase them so that we can get badass non-avian dinosaurs back!

[@ekosubandie2094]

@@nickkorkodylas5005 Expectation : Return of non-avian dinosaurs Reality : Titanoboa the Sequel, Land Crocs 4.0 and Komodozilla

[@nickkorkodylas5005]

@@ekosubandie2094 would.jpg

[@alisav8394]

@@nickkorkodylas5005 cool! But before that, you get: droughts, food scarcity, dramatic increase in food prices, wars, large numbers of refugees... But sure, there might be some cool lizards too

[@nickkorkodylas5005]

"Asphalt Hunter of Vialidad" sounds like an 80's high speed chase action flick.

[@calebsmith2362]

This is such a great paleo-channel.

[@zddxddyddw]

Argentine palaeontology for the win! Great video as always, I didn't know about this dinosaur. Keep up the great job! You have a great way of making complex topics very easy to understand, and in such short videos! And I say that as a biologist who's had some palaeontology studies as part of my education;systematics are no easy thing to explain. Your videos are like my quick shot of paleo updates, so thank you.

[@RaptorChatter]

Thanks for the compliment! Argentine paleo has so much undiscovered info, especially from the early-middle Jurassic. super neat fossils coming from there.

[@rangerjurassico762]

im from brazil, i will love if you make a video about spectrovenator or ubirajara

[@cw7429]

Awesome videos! You explain it all so well

[@RaptorChatter]

Thanks!

[@seanledden4397]

Thanks! I always like to learn more about the mysterious middle and early Jurassic. :)

[@Aladar0utmod3]

Definitely a theropod that deserves more respect than it gets for it's important in diversification understanding and it's place in the overall theropod genus spectrum

[@RaptorChatter]

I really think there will be a lot more interest in both it, and the Cañadón Asfalto Formation now that Covid is less threatening. Hopefully there will some more finds like this in the future, of it or related animals which can help explain the evolution of theropods.

[@sauraplay2095]

Great video as always!

[@zombiedad]

Wow! Amazing stuff. So much skeleton. Excellent stuff. Thanks Raptor Chatter

[@curiousuranus810]

Excellent vid about a sensibly sized animal.

[@johnh539]

I have crossed the Andes from Argentina to Chile and one of my strongest memories are of agricultural terracing's from the base of mountains' right up almost vertical faces'. in some palaces I would say 300m+ from the lowest sections to the top terrace. I have long wandered if they could be treated as test sections through millions of years of geologic history? Indeed given the rapid growth rate of the Andes ,might the exposed lares be young enough to excite any Palaeontologist ? Again thanks for the fascinating content .🖖

[@rileyernst9086]

Basalt soil is quite mineral rich and fertile, so in the areas where the lava flows have previously erupted you'd have pockets and swarthes of more nutritious vegitation, basalt boulder fields or areas of decaying basalt rubble may also protect sensitive species from fire, if the area was prone to fires. Based on modern observation the areas where the basalt is present would probably make preferred browsing/grazing for the formation's herbivores. Just thought I'd add some to building a picture of the Asfaltso formation.

[@monkeymanchronicles]

Finding the origin of the crown group maniraptora would probably be the most fantastic result of this research. As far as I understand, it’s early Jurassic theropoda… then late Jurassic stem-birds. Where are the small dinosaurs in the gap?! I would love to know!

[@RaptorChatter]

It would be super interesting! But personally I think coelurosaurs evolved in the northern hemisphere, based on the lack of them in the southern hemisphere. There's collection biases at play, but it would makes at least some sense with what we know, just need to find out more, and find some new fossils to confirm or disprove the idea!

[@nickkorkodylas5005]

Eshanosaurus: *existed Paleonotlogists: _"I'll pretend I did not see this..."_

[@xdragonxmasterx6790]

I keep reading this dinosaur as asphalt oven ator

[@TenOrbital]

‘One of the best’ 😂

[@dinoh5538]

Asfaltovenator layers have been recently fully constraint to 179.17 ± 0.12 Ma-178.07 ± 0.21 (Middle Toarcian, Variabilis Biozone), and likely only comprises the Chacritas Member, while the True Late Jurassic section, the Puesto Almada member is either part of the younger Cañadón Calcáreo Formation or belongs to a new unit, the Sierra de la Manea Formation. Diego Pol fully corroborated it with this quote: "The age of the Cañadón Asfalto Formation was traditionally thought to be Callovian-Oxfordian, but recent radiometric dates bracketed the fossiliferous levels of this unit as Early Jurassic (Toarcian; Cúneo et al. 2013). The base of the Cañadón Asfalto Formation was dated at 179.17 ± 0.12 Ma, and the uppermost levels of this unit were dated at 178.07 ± 0.21 Ma (Pol et al. 2020). The locality where Volkheimeria and Patagosaurus were found is stratigraphically bracketed between the horizons of these two dates" -Fantasia, A.; Föllmi, K. B.; Adatte, T.; Spangenberg, J. E.; Schoene, B.; Barker, R. T.; Scasso, R. A. (2021). "Late Toarcian continental palaeoenvironmental conditions: An example from the Canadon Asfalto Formation in southern Argentina". Gondwana Research. 89 (1): 47-65. -Figari, E.G. (2011). The Sierra de la Manea Formation (Titho- Neocomian) Composite- Stratotype, Cañadon Asfalto Basin, Patagonia, Argentina. XVIII Congreso Geológico Argentino. 18 (2): 1012-1013. Retrieved 9 August 2022. -Pol, D.; Gomez, K.; Holwerda, F.H.; Rauhut, O.W.M.; Carballido, J.L. (2022). "Sauropods from the Early Jurassic of South America and the Radiation of Eusauropoda". In Otero, A.; Carballido, J.L.; Pol, D. (eds.). South American Sauropodomorph Dinosaurs. Record, Diversity and Evolution. Springer. pp. 131-163. *Remember the EJ doesn't end until 174.2 million years*

[@RaptorChatter]

Ah, I had missed the part on dates, I was mostly trying to focus on the environment composition. Good to know!

[@dinoh5538]

@@RaptorChatter Ahh no worries, the Video is really good anyway!

[@kyrab7914]

I know nothing about paleobiology (is that a thing? It has to be a thing), but one thing I was taught in ppl anatomy was noses help with thermal regulation. I'm not sure if that means endo- or ectotherm, but I hope we find out more any way. Also ty for linking the papers

[@maozilla9149]

nice

[@WildBillCox13]

Magalomartosaurus. It has every kind of feature . . . except for the one you're looking for. That one's on order.

[@thorshammer8033]

He was the Dino standing around with a Stop sign and a highvis vest

[@aldenconsolver3428]

Good job there, and keep on the tail of whats going on there.

[@thisisastrobbery363]

Astolfovenator

[@richie_0740]

ah yes the femboy hunter

[@masao7863]

Yet ANOTHER cool dinosaur found in my land you say???

[@reidrayfield6685]

I never see any mention of possible hybridization between different species of theropods. Would this just complicate things too much? Or is it just not something we think could happen?

[@ericmathena]

Asfalt Oven Ator? Seriously? You made that shit up.

[@Turdfergusen382]

Asfaltovenator is older than grass!

[@scottbogfoot]

Could any dinosaurs turn their heads like modern day owls can?

[@ghaniKSW2]

technically yes owls themselves can

[@HorriblePaleoartist]

​@@ghaniKSW2oh is see what you did there

[@RaptorChatter]

Most dinosaurs had relatively longer necks, so probably could look behind them, but not quite under the same short neck of the owls.

[@GOREilla.]

Asfalto, sério? Kd os BR kkkk

[@TeethToothman]

🫀

[@LowRankingSparrow6145]

Bruh why this guy hunting roads

[@rameyzamora1018]

You guys are running outta dino names,aren't ya? LOL

[@mathmeetsmusic]

Idk... This specimen kind of feels like it has a high probability of being a chimera. One specimen with features from many different known species? Seems pretty sus to me. Idk, I'm far from an expert and I haven't even read the paper describing it, but I'm getting some serious chimera vibes here.

[@RaptorChatter]

So the phylogeny in this paper had been supported before, it just wasn't as conclusive, because fewer datapoints were available, especially from earlier in the theropod lineage. Some of these features, like the divot in the maxilla, and the hole from the nasal to the antorbitalfenestra are on the same bone. This fossil is more the sort of thing that helps confirm a hypothesis, than totally reinvents the wheel, at least when looking at studies in the last few years. This is based on conversations with Dr. Andrea Cau, who did the other analyses I mentioned based solely on the original paper. I'd expect an additional paper from him in the future, but he's based in Italy, and Argentina is still a major trip away, so I don't know when it might come out.