| Name | Dromaeosaurus | Diet | Carnivorous |
| Name Meaning | “Running Lizard” | Wingspan | 1.45 meters (4.6 feet) |
| Pronunciation | DROM-ee-oh-saw-russ | Length | 1.83 meters (6 feet) |
| Era | Mesozoic – Late Cretaceous | Weight | 15 kg (33.07 lbs) |
| Classification | Dinosauria, Saurischia & Theropoda | Location | North America |
Dromaeosaurus Pictures
The Dromaeosaurus
Dromaeosaurus is informally called raptors, primarily because these theropod dinosaurs were built to kill.
The first fossils of Dromaeosaurus were obtained in 1914 by paleontologist Barnum Brown in an area now known as the Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada.
In 1922, Brown and William Diller Matthew finally named this species Dromaeosaurus: Dromaeosaurus albertensis.
The generic name means “running lizard,” which is a term derived from the Greek words dromeus (runner) and sauros (lizard).
Albertensis, the specific title, represents Alberta.
About seven other Dromaeosaurus species have been discovered and named, but the albertensis remains the only species with better fragmentary materials.
Based on the Dromaeosaurus’ fossils, paleontologists have concluded that these dinosaurs lived during the Late Cretaceous period, specifically during the middle late Campanian and Maastrichtian, about 80-69 million years ago.
Even with incomplete fossils, paleontologists have been able to give a near-perfect analysis and description of this prehistoric animal.
As you read, you will discover more interesting facts about the Dromaeosaurus, including physical characteristics and behaviors that made it a remarkable creature that existed in the era that marked the end of the dinosaurs’ reign.
Physical Characteristics
Dromaeosaurus had a medium-sized build, and researchers have compared the carnivore’s size to modern-day wolves.
This dinosaur could reach about six feet and weigh 35-55 pounds.
Fossils show that Dromaeosaurus most likely had a mouth full of sharp teeth with sharply curved claws on each foot.
While it has been estimated that these dinosaurs existed during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period, further findings have revealed that this species may have lived to the Maastrichtian age.
These theropod dinosaurs had a short, robust skull with a deep snout.
It is also evident that they had large teeth that looked like curved cones covered in enamel.
Paleontologists noticed that the teeth looked more worn than those of Dromaeosaurus’ close cousin, Saurornitholestes, which may be a sign that the former used its jaws to crush and tear instead of just cutting through flesh.
Dromaeosaurus had nine teeth per maxilla, and it has been deduced that this animal’s bite was much more potent than Velociraptor’s.
This dinosaur most likely relied on its strong teeth to kill its prey instead of its famous “sickle claw.”
Unlike in modern-day depictions of this claw, the Dromaeosaurus did not use that part of its body to slice through flesh.
Research has shown that the claw could not even tear into thick hide without breaking, which made experts conclude that Dromaeosaurus used the claw to grasp and pin smaller prey.
Generally, Dromaeosaurus, like most raptors, are two-legged animals with arms and legs built for agility and speed.
Paleontologists have explained that Dromaeosaurus relied on this speed to get their prey because they were small and did not have the advantage of size.
These dinosaurs had long, fully-feathered arms resembling bird wings, with tendons stiffening the tail.
The wings and stiffened tails helped with stability and counterbalance, respectively, and made them maneuverable and agile.
Dromaeosaurus also used only two out of their three front toes for movement; the last toe was the retractable or sickle claw which we already discussed.
This also means that Dromaeosaurus was nimble to a large extent.
Habitat and Distribution
Dromaeosaurus skeletons were found primarily in Canada and North America, so we can conclude that these creatures inhabited these regions when they walked the earth.
However, note that this species is particularly rare, with only a few fossils available to analyze.
Hence, there is a possibility that Dromaeosaurus lived in other places but died in areas that did not encourage fossilization.
Dromaeosaurus were most likely solitary creatures but could scavenge in groups or, as researchers put it, “foraged in loose associations.”
This situation can be compared with modern-day crocodiles or Komodo dragons.
Individuals can try to kill the same prey, although with little cooperation.
Some would even attack one another to gain control over a carcass.
Behavior and Diet
Researchers have deduced that Dromaeosaurus exhibited the feeding habits of typical coelurosaurian theropods, which is the “puncture and pull” method.
Furthermore, based on some patterns discovered on the dinosaur’s teeth, Dromaeosaurus most likely favored oversized prey items.
This contrasts the troodontids, another set of dinosaurs that preferred smaller prey.
Since Dromaeosaurus and troodontids lived in the same environment, this difference in their diet would have made it easier for both dinosaurs to coexist.
The strength in the Dromaeosaurus’ jaw also shows that this creature would have had no issues breaking and devouring bones.
The jaw was also better suited to handle struggling prey during an attack.
Dromaeosaurus also had big eyes with top-notch vision and would have also had a good sense of hearing and smell.
These features would have made it easy to see and sense their prey, making them great hunters.
They also had a curved, flexible neck.
Life Cycle
Like most dinosaurs, Dromaeosaurus were oviparous, meaning they laid eggs instead of giving birth to live offspring.
They most likely laid their eggs in hollows scooped in sand or nests of mud.
While experts cannot particularly determine how Dromaeosaurus cared for their young, they have guessed that this species did not abandon their young as some dinosaurs did.
In terms of life span, a dinosaur’s size and metabolism usually determine how long it lives.
That is why it is possible that sauropods with larger body sizes and slower metabolism could live about 50-100 years.
Large theropods most likely lived less than that, about 20-30 years, while smaller theropods, like Dromaeosaurus, probably had a life span of about 10-20 years.
Evolution and History
Paleontologists have not been able to retrieve a complete fossil of Dromaeosaurus, limiting them to only fragmental pieces.
While several books and movies have featured this dinosaur, only a little can be said about Dromaeosaurus based on their fossils.
Most descriptions and depictions are based on other dromaeosaurids discovered over the years.
Barnum Brown discovered the first dromaeosaurus fossils in 1914 when he represented the American Museum of Natural History on an expedition to the Red Deer River in Canada.
The area where the remains were retrieved is now part of Dinosaur Provincial Park.
The lack of adequate fossils shows that this particular dinosaur may have been a rare species or died in regions that did not support fossilization and preservation.
Brown and William named the species discovered in Canada Dromaeosaurus albertensis, and it was described as the type species.
Seven other species were found and documented, which include Dromaeosaurus laevifrons, Dromaeosaurus cristatus, Dromaeosaurus minutus, Dromaeosaurus gracilis, Dromaeosaurus mongoliensis, Dromaeosaurus explanatus, and Dromaeosaurus falculus.
Each species only had fragmentary materials to analyze, and some of these materials even belonged to other genera.
None of the species had enough fossils, like the Dromaeosaurus albertensis, which also had incomplete fossils to start with.
The little information gathered from the few remains reveals that these dinosaurs belonged to the fauna that walked the earth during the Late Cretaceous period.
They were fully terrestrial animals that preyed on large animals, proving that they may have been among the best hunters of that time.
Based on the discoveries made on Dromaeosaurus, this species had some features that distinguished it from its relatives or other dromaeosaurs.
Some of the differences are in its skull and mouth structure as well as its feeding habits.
Like other dinosaurs, dromaeosaurs became extinct when a meteor hit the earth.
All we have left are skeletons to show that this animal once lived.
Modern birds are said to be related to Dromaeosaurus, with both groups sharing a similar ancestor in the Early Jurassic Era.
Some similarities include hollow bones, a stiffened tail, flight feathers, etc.
In fact, scientists have termed Dromaeosauridae as a sister group of the Aves clade (a group that consists of all birds).
Interactions with Other Species
After analyzing the Dromaeosaurus’ remains, Brown and Matthew placed it in its own subfamily, Dromaeosaurinae, due to some similarities the dinosaur shared with other creatures within that subfamily, especially regarding the skull.
Ever since, other species have been classified as close relatives of Dromaeosaurus, some of which include Deinonychus, Utahraptor, Achillobator, and so on.
However, paleontologists are yet to discover the exact relationships of the Dromaeosaurus with these animals.
While the Dromaeosaurus has a rugged build that depicts a primitive appearance, it remains a specialized animal.
This is why experts still have issues pinpointing its similarities with other dinosaurs in its subfamily.
We can still discuss its relationship and interaction with other animals, though.
For instance, Dromaeosaurus shared similar teeth wear patterns like Troodontidae and Tyrannosauridae.
Some differences still indicate that the Dromaeosaurus targeted larger prey, unlike the other two.
This difference made niche partitioning very easy, with less competition for food.
Troodontidae and Dromaeosaurus could coexist without fighting for food.
Cultural Significance
Even with little information about Dromaeosaurus, the running lizard has been featured in several magazines and movies worldwide.
For instance, it was featured in Walking with Dinosaurs, where it was shown to steal eggs from Tyrannosaurus and stalk young Torosaurus.
Interestingly, the Dromaeosaurus never coexisted with the Tyrannosaurus in real life.
Furthermore, it has appeared in Jurassic Fight Club, where a group of Dromaeosaurus was seen trying to take down Edmontosaurus despite the former dinosaur’s small size.
Apparently, the Dromaeosaurus are successful, and you can see a Tyrannosaurus take the carcass of the Edmontosaurus.
Remember, the Tyrannosaurus did not coexist with the Dromaeosaurus in the Late Cretaceous period.
There are also several mounted skeleton casts of the Dromaeosaurus in several museums.
This allows people to learn more about the raptors and gain more insight into the Cretaceous period.
The most popular Dromaeosaurus cast can be found in the Tyrell Museum.
However, you should know that because of the limited fossils found on this animal, the museum built this cast based on knowledge obtained from other dromaeosaurs.
Conclusion
The fact that Dromaeosaurus left behind only a few fossils for researchers and paleontologists to study proves that this creature was one of a kind and most likely a rarity even in its own time.
Yet, with the few available remains, we have enough information to know more about this dinosaur and, by extension, the Late Cretaceous period.
Dromaesaurus are small theropod dinosaurs capable of killing larger prey than their counterparts.
Although remains were found in Canada and North America, there is a chance that they lived in other places as well.
Thankfully, there are different depictions of the Dromaeosaurus today in movies, documentaries, and museums.
This is a way to preserve history and let the world have an idea of what went down in the prehistoric eras.
FAQs
How Fast Was Dromaeosaurus?
Dromaesaurus was a decent runner, a feature helpful in catching its prey.
However, there is no proof to determine its speed accurately..
Could Dromaeosaurus Fly?
While Dromaeosaurus had feathers, there is no evidence to support that they used those feathers to fly.
Still, other dromaeosaur species showed evidence of being capable of flying or gliding at least.
Was Dromaeosaurus an Intelligent Creature?
Sources possessed larger brains than some dinosaurs, which is a sign that they were probably more intelligent.
However, they were probably only a bit smarter than other dinosaurs but nowhere as intelligent as most modern birds and mammals.
Sources:
- https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/dino-directory/dromaeosaurus.html
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dromaeosaurus
- https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/diapsids/saurischia/dromaeosauridae.html
- https://www.mcgill.ca/redpath/learning-services/resources/dinosaurs/dromaeosaurus
- https://sites.google.com/a/linn.k12.mo.us/mrs-sifling-s-fossil-museum/dinosaurs/dromaeosaurus
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