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Xenovenator robustus

Osteichthyes - Troodontidae

Taxonomy
Saurornitholestes robustus was named by Sullivan (2006). Its type specimen is SMP VP-1955, a partial skull (frontal), and it is not a trace fossil. Its type locality is north fork, Alamo Wash, SMP Loc. 388a, which is in a Campanian terrestrial horizon in the Kirtland Formation of New Mexico.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Evans et al. (2014), Williamson and Brusatte (2014); it was recombined as Xenovenator robustus by Rivera-Sylva et al. (2026).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2006Saurornitholestes robustus Sullivan p. 253 figs. 1-3
2015Saurornitholestes robustus Jasinski p. 79
2026Xenovenator robustus Rivera-Sylva et al. p. 15

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
classOsteichthyes
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
Romeriida
Diapsida()
Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
RankNameAuthor
Crocopoda
ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
Eucrocopoda
Archosauria()
informalAvemetatarsalia
Ornithodira
Dinosauromorpha
Dinosauriformes
Dinosauria()
Theropoda()
Neotheropoda
AverostraPaul 2002
Tetanurae
Coelurosauria()
Maniraptora
Paraves
infraorderDeinonychosauria
familyTroodontidae
subfamilyTroodontinae
tribeTroodontini
genusXenovenator
speciesrobustus()

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Xenovenator robustus Sullivan 2006
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
H. E. Rivera-Sylva et al. 2026Xenovenator with relatively flat frontals, frontals weakly arched in medial view, strongly thickened posteriorly* but weakly thickened anteriorly; doming not developed(?).