Dromaeosaurus
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| Dromaeosaurus Fossil range: Late Cretaceous |
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 Dromaeosaurus
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D. albertensis (type) |
Dromaeosaurus (pronounced /ˌdrɒmioʊˈsɔrəs/) was a genus of theropod dinosaur which lived during the Late Cretaceous period (Campanian), about 76 - 72 million years ago, in Alberta, Canada. The name means 'running lizard' and is derived from the Greek dromeus (δρομευς) meaning 'runner' and sauros (σαυρος) meaning 'lizard'.
Dromaeosaurus is surprisingly poorly known, although a cast of a complete mounted skeleton, prepared by the Tyrrell Museum, Alberta, Canada, appears in several museums throughout the world. Its construction was made possible by knowledge of others of the group that have been discovered more recently.
Dromaeosaurus is known from a partial skull, foot fragments and ribs from Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta. Several other bones, and dozens of isolated teeth, are also known.
Dromaeosaurus albertensis is the most complete specimen and it is apparent that this genus is even rarer than other small theropods. It was one of the first small theropods described based on reasonably good cranial material, and gives its name to its family.
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[edit] Description
Dromaeosaurus was a small vicious hunter, the size of a wolf, about 1.8 m (6 ft) in length and 15 kg (33 lb) in weight. Its mouth was full of sharp teeth. A sharp hooked claw on each foot was used to clamp down on its prey.
Dromaeosaurus had remarkably large eyes and excellent vision. It also probably had a good sense of smell and hearing. It had a curved flexible neck and its jaws were long and solidly built. The tail was flexible at the base but sheathed in a lattice of bony rods; this allowed it to be carried in a sharply upturned position. The sickle-like claws were an advantage over most of its victims. Research has shown that Dromaeosaurus most likely was feathered.
[edit] Characteristics
Dromaeosaurus differs from most other Dromaeosauridae in having a short, massive skull, a deep mandible, and robust teeth. In these respects Dromaeosaurus resembled the tyrannosaurs. Although only a few bones are known from the hindlimb, they indicate that Dromaeosaurus was a powerfully built animal. Exactly how Dromaeosaurus lived and what it ate are still open to speculation. The teeth tend to be more heavily worn than those of its relative Saurornitholestes, suggesting that its jaws were used for crushing and tearing rather than simply slicing through flesh. It is possible that Dromaeosaurus was more of a scavenger than other small theropods, or it may be that Dromaeosaurus relied more heavily on its jaws to dispatch its prey. It was probably better suited to tackling large prey than the more lightly built Saurornitholestes.
[edit] Relationships
The relationships of Dromaeosaurus are unclear. Although its rugged build gives it a primitive appearance, it was actually a very specialized animal. It is usually given its own subfamily, the Dromaeosaurinae; this group is thought to include Utahraptor, Achillobator, Adasaurus and perhaps Deinonychus. However, the relationships of dromaeosaurs are still in a state of flux. "Dromaeosaurus Morphotype A" is the designation given to a series of unusual, ridged dromaeosaur teeth from Alberta. These teeth probably do not belong to Dromaeosaurus, although it is unclear from what animal they do come.
[edit] In popular culture
Dromaeosaurus are featured in Walking with Dinosaurs, stalking Torosaurus and stealing eggs from Tyrannosaurus.
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[edit] References
- Dixon, Dougal (2006). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs (Lorenz Books): 200-201.
- Matthew, W. D. and B. Brown (1922). The family Deinodontidae, with notice of a new genus from Cretaceous of Alberta. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 46: 367-385.
- Colbert, E. and D. A. Russell (1969). The small Cretaceous dinosaur Dromaeosaurus. American Museum Novitates 2380: 1-49.
- Currie, P. J., K. J. Rigby, et al. (1990). Theropod teeth from the Judith River Formation of southern Alberta, Canada. Dinosaur Systematics: Perspectives and Approaches. P. J. Currie and K. Carpenter. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press: 107-125.
- Currie, P. J. (1995). New information on the anatomy and relationships of Dromaeosaurus albertensis (Dinosauria: Theropoda). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 15(3): 576-591.
