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Utahraptor speedUtahraptor speed.10 Facts About Utahraptor, the World's Biggest Raptor
The single-named species of Utahraptor, Utahraptor ostrommaysorum , honors the famous American paleontologist John Ostrom as well as the dinosaur robotics pioneer Chris Mays. Way back before it was fashionable, in the s, Ostrom speculated that raptors like Deinonychus were the distant ancestors of modern birds, a theory that has since been accepted by the vast majority of paleontologists though it's not clear whether raptors, or some other family of feathered dinosaur , lay at the root of the bird evolutionary tree.
Befitting their kinship with the first prehistoric birds , most, if not all, raptors of the late Cretaceous period, like Deinonychus and Velociraptor, were covered with feathers, at least during certain stages of their life cycles.
Although no direct evidence has been adduced for Utahraptor possessing feathers, they were almost certainly present, if only in hatchlings or juveniles—and the odds are that full-grown adults were plushly feathered as well, making them look a bit like giant turkeys. Though the honor of its discovery went to James Kirkland see above , Utahraptor was actually named by another eminent paleontologist, Robert Bakker —who then went on to make a female Utahraptor the main protagonist of his adventure novel Raptor Red.
Correcting the historical record and the errors perpetrated by movies like Jurassic Park , Bakker's Utahraptor is a fully fleshed-out individual, not evil or malicious by nature but simply trying to survive in its harsh environment. Thanks to the vagaries of continental drift, most of the North American dinosaurs of the Cretaceous period had similar-looking counterparts in Europe and Asia.
In the case of Utahraptor, the ringer was the much later Achillobator of central Asia, which was slightly smaller only about 15 feet from head to tail but possessed some odd anatomical quirks of its own, notably the extra-thick Achilles tendons in its heels which doubtless came in handy when it was gutting prey like Protoceratops from which it derives its name.
Today, most paleontologists agree that the meat-eating dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era possessed some kind of warm-blooded metabolism—perhaps not the robust physiology of modern cats, dogs, and humans, but something intermediate between reptiles and mammals. As a large, feathered, actively predatory theropod, Utahraptor was almost certainly warm-blooded, which would have been bad news for its presumably cold-blooded, plant-munching prey.
Since only isolated individuals of Utahraptor have been discovered, positing any kind of pack behavior is a delicate matter, as it is for any theropod dinosaur of the Mesozoic Era.
However, there's strong evidence that the closely related North American raptor Deinonychus hunted in packs to bring down larger prey like Tenontosaurus , and it may well be the case that pack hunting and primitive social behavior defined raptors every bit as much as their feathers and the curved claws on their hind feet!
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You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings , which can also be found in the footer of the site. Share Flipboard Email. By Bob Strauss Bob Strauss. Despite their tinier sizes, these raptors enjoyed their company, even when loitering around. Utahraptors, on the other hand, were social and dwelled in packs.
They found solace in numbers, which added to the advantage of their sizes. Both birds of prey were incredibly adaptable and hardy enough to survive in any environment despite the harshness.
However, Velociraptors had the physical capability to live in the harshest conditions in central and eastern Asia. Their agility and propensity for speed gave them the edge over charging after prey in the open desert and semi-arid grounds. However, they also displayed similar predatory characteristics as their cousins in the early Cretaceous period, ambushing prey.
Size and weight come in handy during combat; enough, the Utahraptor had all that. Besides, it had other adaptable characteristics to pin its enemy down, especially if they were tinier and less aggressive.
Utahraptors are the strongest and have a physical advantage over velociraptors. Utaraptors were nearly at the peak of their feeding chain and had fewer predators in their ecosystem. The Acrocanthosaurus was their only known predator and adversary in their ecosystem. The tale of the early earth inhabitants — dinosaurs — has always been fascinating. However, Utahraptor and Velociraptor add a new form of excitement with their intriguing behaviors and characteristics.
If we were to pick a winner between the two, we probably would vouch for Utaraptors. These raptors had all the perks of a fierce monster and were nearly at the peak of their feeding chains. Hopefully, that settles the debate. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Step 1: Fill out the form below and submit. Step 2: Our team will contact you within 24 hours to confirm the order details. Step 3: You can pay by wire transfer or PayPal, we will ship within one day after you pay.
Step 4: You will meet your baby dinosaur in about 15 days. Name required Country required Email required Message. We use cookies to provide you a better service and analyze traffic. To find out more about cookies, please see our Privacy Policy. By continuing to browse our website, you agree to our use of cookies. Skip to content. September 23, Dinosaur Knowledge Chloe Wang. Source by: Only Dinosaurs. Utahraptor and Velociraptor: What are They?
Utahraptor vs Velociraptor: A Characteristic Comparison. Were Utahraptor and Velociraptor Social? Frequently Asked Questions. Source by: ThoughtCo. Source by: Pinterest. Source by: Fandom. Movement and Speed. Source by: YouTube. Predatory Behavior. Source by: National Park Service. Source by: Dinosaurs.
Source by: Etsy. Which is Stronger, Utahraptor or Velociraptor? Did the Utahraptor Have any Predators? Dinosaur Facts. Share to:.
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