Dromaeosaurus
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 Dromaeosaurus at the Natural History Museum, London.
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D. albertensis (type species) |
Dromaeosaurus (drom-ee-oh-SAWR-us) was a wolf-sized theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous (Upper Campanian) Period of what is now Alberta, Canada. The name means 'running lizard' and is derived from the Greek (dromeus (δρομευς) meaning 'runner' and sauros (σαυρος) meaning 'lizard'). It is known from a partial skull and other bones (foot fragments, ribs), collected in what is now Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta. Dozens of isolated teeth have also been found.
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[edit] Characteristics
Dromaeosaurus differs from most other Dromaeosauridae in having a short, massive skull, a deep mandible, and large, robust teeth. In these respects Dromaeosaurus resembled the tyrannosaurs. A few bones are known from the hindlimb and they indicate that Dromaeosaurus was a powerfully built animal. Exactly how it lived and what it ate are still open to speculation. The teeth show moderate wear and chipping and seem to have been used for crushing and tearing, more than slicing through flesh; it is possible that Dromaeosaurus was more of a scavenger than other small theropods. It was probably better suited to tackling large prey than the more lightly built Saurornitholestes.
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.
The type species is D. albertensis. The other species, lacking in material, may well be synonymous with it.
[edit] In popular culture
Dromaeosaurus are featured in Walking With Dinosaurs, stalking Torosaurus and stealing eggs from Tyrannosaurus. Dromaeosaurus are also featured hunting for Zuniceratops in When Dinosaurs Roamed America
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[edit] References
- 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 66: 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.
