The Largest of the Dromaeosauridae – Utahraptor
Utahraptor – Early Dromaeosaurs were Bigger?
Everything Dinosaur discusses one of the largest dromaeosaurs described to date, the fearsome Utahraptor.
The city of Moab, in eastern Utah (United States) straddles highway 191 and is a popular destination for hikers and bikers and outdoors folk, visiting the area to enjoy the spectacular walks and scenery. However, if you had been around this particular part of the western United States approximately 120 million years ago, it would have been safer to not wander around on your own.
This was the home range of one of the earliest dromaeosaurs (swift lizards), also one of the largest known in the fossil record – Utahraptor ostrummaysorum.
Discovered, during excavations at the Dalton Wells quarry in 1991, Utahraptor was named after the famous palaeontologist and professor of geology John Ostrom, who did much to establish the theory that many dinosaurs were warm-blooded and highly active animals.
An Scale Illustration of Utahraptor
The illustration on the Everything Dinosaur Utahraptor fact sheet. A scale drawing of Utahraptor. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Dromaeosaurid Models and Figures
Dromaeosaurid models and figures have proved popular amongst dinosaur fans and model collectors.
To view models of large dromaeosaurids such as Utahraptor: CollectA Prehistoric Life Models.
With an estimated length of 6-7 metres and with its head at over 2.5 metres in the air, this large predator would have been a formidable hunter, especially if they hunted in packs. The sickle-shaped claw on the second toe (pes II) measured an estimated 38 cm long.
These large members of the Dromaeosauridae family have proved to be very popular with young dinosaur fans. Models of Utahraptor have been made and there were even Utahraptor soft toys produced.
A case of prehistoric plush!
To view the range of dinosaur and prehistoric animal soft toys (prehistoric plush) available from Everything Dinosaur’s award-winning website: Dinosaur and Prehistoric Animal Soft Toys.