Papiliovenator

Papiliovenator gets its name from a butterfly-shaped bone in its back. The first two vertebrae of its spine had wide, wing-like parts that looked like a butterfly.1

Its snout was short and triangular, more like older troodontids from the Early Cretaceous. Most Late Cretaceous troodontids had long, low snouts.1

This dinosaur lived about 83 to 72 million years ago, during the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous.12

Scientists think Papiliovenator was one of the earliest Late Cretaceous troodontids. Only one other troodontid, Almas, was more primitive.1

The only known fossil is a partial skeleton of a subadult, including a nearly complete skull and many other bones.1

Papiliovenator had no serrations on its teeth, which is unusual for a meat-eating dinosaur. This might mean it ate softer food or some plants.12