RE: Do you have a favourite raptor?
July 26, 2020 at 8:58 am
(This post was last modified: July 26, 2020 at 9:30 am by Anomalocaris.)
Raptor can also refer to the family of dromaeosaurid carnivorous dinosaurs distinguished by highly bird like anatomy. Velociraptor is the most famous member first popularized by Jurassic park movie franchise.
Dromeosaurid dinosaurs in fact are so Extraordinarily bird like in detailed anatomy some paleontologist proposed that, rather than merely deriving from a close common ancestor with True birds in the manner believed to be true of tyrannosaurs and other bird like dinosaurs, the Dromaeosaurids were In fact True birds. In this theory they would have descended from Flight capable true birds that had split from all other dinosaurs and proceeded well down the path of birds and bird flight and then secondarily retro-adopted back to a purely terrestrial flightless niche. Think of them as sort of like Like The later flightless terror birds of Cenozoic South America, but far more comprehensively retro-adopted to large terrestrial carnivores niche.
Velociraptor of Jurassic park was vastly exaggerated in size. Real velociraptor ranged in size from those of a chicken to those of a turkey. But there are far larger Dromaeosaurids. The largest well known is utahraptor, Estimated to be 1000 lbs, or similar in weight to polar bear or Alaska Kodak bear.
Utahraptor:
![[Image: utahraptor_ostrommaysorum_by_teratophone...m_518f.jpg]](https://images.dinosaurpictures.org/utahraptor_ostrommaysorum_by_teratophoneus-d4oq7xm_518f.jpg)
There are fragmentary remains that suggest even larger raptor dinosaur may have existed. Proposed ultra raptor, if correctly interpreted, would approach the size and weight of the tyrannosaurs.
Dromeosaurid dinosaurs in fact are so Extraordinarily bird like in detailed anatomy some paleontologist proposed that, rather than merely deriving from a close common ancestor with True birds in the manner believed to be true of tyrannosaurs and other bird like dinosaurs, the Dromaeosaurids were In fact True birds. In this theory they would have descended from Flight capable true birds that had split from all other dinosaurs and proceeded well down the path of birds and bird flight and then secondarily retro-adopted back to a purely terrestrial flightless niche. Think of them as sort of like Like The later flightless terror birds of Cenozoic South America, but far more comprehensively retro-adopted to large terrestrial carnivores niche.
Velociraptor of Jurassic park was vastly exaggerated in size. Real velociraptor ranged in size from those of a chicken to those of a turkey. But there are far larger Dromaeosaurids. The largest well known is utahraptor, Estimated to be 1000 lbs, or similar in weight to polar bear or Alaska Kodak bear.
Utahraptor:
There are fragmentary remains that suggest even larger raptor dinosaur may have existed. Proposed ultra raptor, if correctly interpreted, would approach the size and weight of the tyrannosaurs.
