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Utahraptor

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iUtahraptor
Fossil range: Early Cretaceous

Image:Utahraptor 3.JPG

Utahraptor reconstruction, in Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Conservation status

Extinct (fossil)

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Scientific classification

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

Binomial name

Utahraptor ostrommaysorum
Kirkland, Gaston & Burge, 1993

Image:Utahraptor foot.JPG

Utahraptor (meaning "Utah thief") is the largest known member of the theropod dinosaur family Dromaeosauridae, and dates from the upper Barremian stage of the Lower Cretaceous period (126 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<ref name="Kirkland93">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). </ref>. 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, 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, not slashing. Up to 7 meters (23.3 feet) long, 2.4 meters (8 feet) tall and 700 kg (1500lbs) in weight, Utahraptor would have been a formidable predator<ref name="Kirkland93">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). </ref>.

[edit] Classification

It is thought that Utahraptor may be closely related to the much smaller Dromaeosaurus<ref name="Kirkland93">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). </ref> and the giant Mongolian dromaeosaurid Achillobator.

[edit] In popular culture

Utahraptor was the subject of the book Raptor Red<ref>Bakker RT. (1993)Raptor Red. bantam Press.ISBN 0-7857-9972-9</ref> by Robert T. Bakker.
Dinosaur Comics contains a Utahraptor as a main character.
Utahraptor is featured in BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs' 4th Episode Giants of the Skies.
The game Jurassic Park Sega CD, featuring the aforementioned Robert Bakker, considers the "Velociraptor" in the game to be a Utahraptor.