Dakotaraptor
"thief from Dakota"
- Length
- 5.5 m (18 ft)
- Period
- Late Jurassic (68–66 Mya)
- Place
- North America · Mexico · New Mexico, USA
- Food
- Carnivore
- Clade
- Dromaeosauridae Dinosauria Saurischia Theropoda Coelurosauria Sickle-clawed raptors: Velociraptor, Deinonychus, Utahraptor.
Dakotaraptor (meaning “thief from Dakota”) is a possible chimaeric genus of maniraptoriform theropod dinosaur that lived in western North America during the Late Cretaceous period. The remains have been found in the Maastrichtian-aged Hell Creek Formation, dated to the very end of the Mesozoic era, making Dakotaraptor potentially one of the last surviving dromaeosaurids, though other researchers have disputed its classification. One of the largest dromaeosaurids, measuring 4.35 – 6 m and weighing 220 – 350 kg, the remains of D. steini were discovered in a multi-species bonebed.
What we know
- Named by DePalma et al. 2015.
- Body length estimated at about 5.5 m.
- Fossils found in North America and Mexico.
What we guess
The reconstruction notes for Dakotaraptor — soft tissue, color, behavior — haven't been written up yet. Only the recorded basics above are filled in so far.