Dakotaraptor: Scientists unearth giant winged raptor!
Could the huge predator really have challenged the T. rex?
Thought Velociraptor was scary? Just wait until you meet Dakotaraptor…
A huge new dinosaur has been unearthed in South Dakota, USA.
And scientists say the 5-m-long creature, which lived 66 million years ago during the Cretaceous period, is one of the largest raptors ever found!
Palaeontologists (dinosaur experts) couldn’t believe their eyes when they unearthed the bones of this giant in the famous Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota, an area that’s famous for its dinosaur discoveries such as Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops.
They named their discovery Dakotaraptor, after where it was unearthed.
Don’t forget to check out these roar-some dinosaur facts!
A team of experts at Kansas University studied the dino’s bones and found that the Dakotaraptor would have had wings! They noticed a series of small bumps along its forearms called “quill knobs” (points where feathers attach to bone), similar to what you’d find on a modern bird today – only on a giant scale!
The scientists believe that the enormous raptor may have been a match for the infamous T. rex. Although Dakotaraptor wasn’t as large as the the 12-m-long Tyrannosaurus, palaeontologist Robert DePalma and his team believe it was an awesome predator.
Although Dakotaraptor wasn’t as large as the the 12m long Tyrannosaurus, palaeontologist Robert DePalma and his team believe that the Dakotaraptor fills the rather large size gap between smaller raptors and T. rex.
“Dakotaraptor could run very fast, it could jump incredibly well, it was agile and it had grappling hooks on the front and rear limbs,” Robert says. “These claws could grab on to anything and just slice them to bits – it was utterly lethal!”
What do you make of Dakotaraptor? Let us know your favourite dinosaur by leaving us a comment below!
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COMMENTS
My favorite dino is a megaldon.
my favorite animal is the otter
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is a living definition of a dragon so cool (but very interesting...)
That is a living definiton of a dragon so stop saying they are not real!!!
If you need to know about the Dakotaraptor or any other type of dinosaur, Look on National Geographic Kids!
awesome,I want a pet Dakotaraptor[DEADLY].
Coooooooooool!!!! (But creepy)
Raptors are so cool
Raptors are so cool and deadly but I want one now
cool!
cool! guess that the raptors are not one of the best attraction in Jurassic park now!
My favorite is the raptor for land and for water is mosasaraus
Cool, wierd, deadly and EPIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A top predator.
Amazing discovery! My new favourite dinosaur!
my favorite dino is the tyranosarus -rex. it weighs 7 tonnes \7000 kilograms' wow! thats a fact
That must have been scary if the Dakotaraptor was chasing you!
Awesome! It could of been as lethal as a t.rex!
My fave under water dino is mosasaraus and land dino is dilophosaurus
Wow!
Kewl :3
it the illuminati pet
Super...Deadly...And Dead
Thats epic
awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cool discovery now I want to know more
soooooooooooooo cool
scientists are discovering new things every day! This dinosaur is so cool!
Wow!
I want one as a pet!!!
I want one as a pet!!! My favourite dino is giganotasaurus.
I want one as a pet!!! My favourite dino is giganotasaurus.
Wow thats an amazing report
Wow that is a brilliant and amazing report a bout nature and life from the time of the dinosaurs
Wow that is a very amazing and brilliant fact about findings of prehistoric life!
Wow thats amazing !
AWESOME AND FREAKY!
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my favourite dinosaur is the Ankilosaurus
never heard of it
:o
This must have been a pretty dangerous dinosaur!!!!!!!
very awesome and I love dinosaur so this is very interesting
feathers!
Awesome facts!
this must be a lethal predator my favourite dinosaur is Therizinosaurus
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