New, Big Raptor
So Novas and crew have reported today on a dromeosaur with a head estimated to be some 80 cm in length and a body estimated to be some 5 m in length. For those of you keeping score on the large-raptor front, that matches or exceeds Utahraptor. The new specie's name is Austroraptor cabazai. In addition to large size, it also has unusally short arms for a dromeosaurs.
It's also in a really odd subgroup within dromeosaurs, which includes Rahonavis (the "bird" with raptor feet that now looks like a true raptor) from Madagascar, the enigmatic Unenlagia, and Buitreraptor (which has an extremely narrow snout). Whatever these Southern Hemisphere forms were doing, it's interesting.
You can read more about this new species (with pictures) here.
And, because this just goes to show that we need to be on guard against raptor attacks, you should also read this.
It's also in a really odd subgroup within dromeosaurs, which includes Rahonavis (the "bird" with raptor feet that now looks like a true raptor) from Madagascar, the enigmatic Unenlagia, and Buitreraptor (which has an extremely narrow snout). Whatever these Southern Hemisphere forms were doing, it's interesting.
You can read more about this new species (with pictures) here.
And, because this just goes to show that we need to be on guard against raptor attacks, you should also read this.