The largest raptor is the dinosaur of the bloodthirsty family of dromaeosaurids

Raptor is a dinosaur, which scientists officially call velciraptor, microraptor, etc. Yutharaptor is probably the greatest of all. This bloodthirsty predator had horrendously huge claws on his legs. This raptor (dinosaur) lived during the early Cretaceous period. The first samples of yutharapters were discovered in 1975 by Jim Jensen in the eastern central part of Utah, near the city of Moab, but they were not given much attention. Later, Carl Limoni found a large claw from the foot. Radiometric dating has shown that the age of nearby fossils is about 124 million years.

One of the largest predators in the world

Raptor is a dinosaur, which is truly the king of predators. The largest of these is the uterapter from the genus Terapod, which includes the largest known representatives of the family dromaeosaurids. According to some estimates, the predator growth was 7 meters in length, and the weight was not more than 500 kilograms. The animal had large curved claws, which confirms the found surviving specimen measuring 22 centimeters long.

There are convincing phylogenetic data, indicating that all members of the family owned the feather cover. The large prey was hunted in the pack. Raptor is a dinosaur that was very mobile and could probably outrun most other dinosaurs. This smart heavyweight could run fast, he had short but powerful legs, thanks to which he could jump out of ambush to catch his powerful claws in the body of the victim.

Dakotapator

The research team found a skeleton of a dinosaur, which was given the name dakotaraptor. The remains are dated 66 million years ago, that is, the late Cretaceous period. These predators are known as small, fast and agile dinosaurs. They had tough tails and sharp claws that helped in the hunt. Their growth ranged within 5 meters, dakotapator was among the largest and most dangerous predators. There are no evidences of the fact of hunting by flocks, the question remains open, and disputes continue to exist on it. Studies have shown that some members of the family had feathers that at least partly covered the trunk. Plumage of large species remains a topic for discussion. Dakotaraptors do not have a so-called pen handle on the surface of the forearm. These elements point to the place where the feathers are attached to the bones of modern birds.

Paleontologists suggest that the presence of feathering took place, but it did not serve to fly, these species lost this ability in the course of evolution. Prior to this discovery, it was believed that the most formidable predator is the tyrannosaurus, but the young Dakotaraptor may well be worthy of competition and be a formidable opponent.

Dinosaur Raptor: description of appearance

It was about 2 meters tall, 6 meters long. Its skeletal structure resembles a modern turkey or chicken. The bones were hollow, but strong. The head was rectangular in shape with powerful jaws with sharp razor-sharp teeth. Yutharaptor had long and relatively thin upper limbs, ending with three fingers with claws, of which the middle was the longest. The long tail was used as a tool for maintaining balance. The legs were short and reliable, there were four fingers on each foot.

The first finger of the foot was not involved anywhere, the second had a retractable claw that could grow to 24 cm in length and was covered with a layer of keratin for protection. The third and fourth fingers were used for balance. Perhaps the dinosaur had binocular vision, like an eagle. His hearing was also excellent. Scientists recently discovered that predators can hear low-frequency sounds better than herbivores. They are able to smell the prey for a kilometer. Hands, legs, tail covered feathers, and the rest of the body was under a thick fluff.

Raptor Weapons

The largest raptor is a dinosaur, which, in addition to the size, had many extremely dangerous weapons. His first weapon was the brain. Yutharaptor was a true master strategist. His second weapon is the claws he used to grab and tear his prey, and also get the best piece of meat. The third weapon was his second finger with a deadly claw that he used to slaughter his victim by hitting the jugular vein or spine, causing paralysis or instant death. The sharp teeth in his jaw were the weapon that was used to rip and eat prey. The decisive role in the process of hunting belonged to the tail used for balance during the pursuit of prey. The predator's menu was not difficult, as a rule, they hunted for everything that was available to them. Due to the fact that their habitats were characterized by an arid climate, animals had to drink plenty of fresh water.

Varieties of Raptors

What are the types of raptor - dinosaurs belonging to the family of dromaeosaurids?

Deinonich , whose name translates as "terrible claws." The fossils of this predator were found in America, according to approximate data, their age is 110 million years. This is a medium-sized beast, whose growth did not exceed 3 meters.

Veloceraptor ("fast thief"). These predators were very small in size, the size of a modern turkey.

Also distinguished: yutaraptor ("thief from Utah"), micro-torrator ("small thief"), pyraaptor ("fiery thief"), dromaeosaurus ("running lizard"). Austroaptor (the "southern thief") had similar dimensions with the utapaptor.

Sinornithosaurus (Chinese birdwort) and rahonavis looked more like birds than dinosaurs.