Information AboutDromaeosaurus |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT DROMAEOSAURUS | |
| cretaceous dinosaurs | |
| dinosaurs of north america | |
| dromaeosaurs | |
''Dromaeosaurus'' (drom-ee-oh-SAWR-us) meaning "running lizard" ( Greek ''dromaios'' = swift-runner + ''sauros'' = lizard) is a Wolf -sized Theropod Dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous (Upper Campanian ) of Alberta , Canada . It is known from a partial skull and other bones (foot fragments, ribs) collected in what is now Dinosaur Provincial Park , Alberta, as well as dozens of isolated teeth. 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 fairly heavy 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 is 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 what animal they do come from. The Type Species is ''D. albertensis''. The other species, lacking in material, may well be synonymous with it. REFERENCES
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