Microvenator (meaning “small hunter”) was a small, fast-moving, lightly-built dinosaur that walked on two long legs. It was about 4 ft. (1.2 m) long and weighed roughly 6.5 to 14 pounds (3 to 6.4 kg). This turkey-sized predator had short arms, large eyes, a long neck, a small head, and a long snout tat may have had a toothless beak. Each hand had three long fingers, each equipped with a claw. Each foot had three, clawed, bird-like toes. Microvenator lived in the early Creataceous Period, about 119 million to 113 million years ago. This was a time when the Earth was warmer than it is now and the sea levels were much higher (since there was no polar ice). Microvenator was a relatively large-brained dinosaur that was among the most intelligent of the dinosaurs. Microvenator was a meat-eater. This small, quick-moving predator probably ate small reptiles, small mammals, and insects. Microvenator walked on two long, slender, bird-like legs. It must have been a fast runner, considering its long legs and light weight. Microvenator was named by paeleontologist John H. Ostrom in 1970. It is known from a partial skeleton (which may be a juvenile) found in Montana, USA.
