Neovenator by Moondawg

Neovenator ("New-Hunter") is a genus of allosauroid dinosaur. Since its discovery on the Isle of Wight, UK, it has become one of the best-known large carnivorous dinosaurs in Europe.

Neovenator was at first considered possibly a new species of Megalosaurus. It measured approximately 7.5 meters in length, and was of a gracile build. It lived during the Barremian stage of the Cretaceous Period.

The first bones of the type species were discovered in 1978, in the chalk cliffs of southwest Isle of Wight. It was much later (1996) that more bones from this specimen were found. Excavations undertaken by Dr Steve Hutt and his team have so far revealed approximately 70% of the skeleton.

At the time that it was described, by Steve Hutt, Martill and Barker in 1996, it was the only known allosaurid in Europe. It is currently considered to be closely related to Allosaurus, Acrocanthosaurus and Giganotosaurus.

A life-sized, animatronic model of the animal is on display at the Dinosaur Isle attraction in the Isle of Wight.