Austroraptor

Wetlands

The bipedal Austroraptor was a carnivore that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. Reaching between 5 and 6m in length, the Austroraptor has an elongated skull, and relatively short forearms when compared to other dromaeosaurs.

Discovery

The Austroraptor was first found in 2002 in the Allen Formation of Argentina, and named in 2008. The name Austroraptor means 'southern thief', and it is the largest dromaeosaur ever found in the Southern Hemisphere.

Palaeoecology

Austroraptor lived in the Late Cretaceous period alongside other species of dinosaur and early mammals, in what is now Argentina. A semi-arid ecosystem rich with estuaries and tidal flats, the area boasted a large number of fish and it was likely Austroraptor consumed fish alongside terrestrial prey.