Utahraptor

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Utahraptor
Fossil range: Early Cretaceous

Utahraptor reconstruction, in Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Extinct (fossil)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Superorder:	Dinosauria
Order:	Saurischia
Suborder:	Theropoda
Infraorder:	Deinonychosauria
Family:	Dromaeosauridae
Subfamily:	Dromaeosaurinae
Genus:	Utahraptor
Species:	U. ostrommaysorum

Binomial name

Utahraptor ostrommaysorum
Kirkland, Gaston & Burge, 1993

Utahraptor foot reconstruction, showing specialised claw
(from Oxford University Museum of Natural History)

Utahraptor (meaning "Utah thief") is the largest known member of the theropod dinosaur family Dromaeosauridae, and dates from the upper Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous period (132-119 million years ago).

1 Discovery and species
2 Characteristics
3 Classification
4 In popular culture
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Discovery and species

James Kirkland, Rob Gaston, and Don Burge discovered Utahraptor in 1993 in Grand County, Utah, within the Cedar Mountain Formation.^[1] The type specimen is currently housed at the College of Eastern Utah, although Brigham Young University currently houses the largest collection of Utahraptor fossils.

The type species (and only known species of Utahraptor), Utahraptor ostrommaysorum, was named for the American paleontologist John Ostrom, from Yale University's Peabody Museum of Natural History, and Chris Mays, of Dinamation International.

[edit] Characteristics

Like other dromaeosaurids, Utahraptor had a huge curved claw on the second toe that could grow to 23 cm (almost 9 inches) long. The animal may have grasped its prey with its forelimbs while kicking with its hindlimbs. Recent tests on reconstructions of the smaller species Velociraptor suggest that claws of this type were used for stabbing or suffocating its prey, not slashing into their hide. Up to 6.5 meters (22 feet) long, 2 meters (6 feet) tall and 700 kg (1500lbs) in weight, Utahraptor would have been a formidable predator.^[1]

[edit] Classification

It is thought that Utahraptor may be closely related to the much smaller Dromaeosaurus^[1] and the giant Mongolian dromaeosaurid Achillobator.

[edit] In popular culture

One of two major characters in Ryan North's Dinosaur Comics is a Utahraptor. He is known simply by the name of his genus, "Utahraptor" alternatively "The Utahraptor".

The novel Raptor Red featured a pack of Utahraptor as the main characters.

It also made an appearance in "Walking with Dinosaurs: The live experience"

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b ^c Kirkland JI, Burge D, and Gaston R. A large dromaeosaur [Theropoda] from the Lower Cretaceous of Utah. HUNTERIA, v. 2, no. 10; 1-16 (1993).