Bambiraptor
Bambiraptor feinbergi
Pronounced: Bam - bee - Rap - tor
Diet: Carnivore (meat-eater)
Name Means: "Baby Raider"
Length: 3 ft.(1 m)
Height: 1 ft.(30 cm)
Weight: 7 lb.(3 kg)
Time: Late Cretaceous - 80 million years ago
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur have been found in North America
Bambiraptor is one of the
most important fossils found
in North America. This
little bird-like dinosaur
was a very quick hunter, and
it may have been an
important step in dinosaurs'
evolution into birds.
Scientists believe that
feathers and fuzz covered
its body. The fuzz would
have been like the downy
covering on baby birds.
Bambiraptor had quite a
few features in common with
modern birds. It had a
wishbone, something all
modern birds have that allow
them to flap their wings,
and its arms and hands were
very long for its body size.
In fact, the length of its
arms and hands approached
the lengths needed for
flight. It also had an
ossified sternum, a bone
that is essential for birds
to be able to move their
wings for flying. Even with
these similarities, however,
there is no doubt that
Bambiraptor was still a
dinosaur from the raptor
family. It had the killer
claw on its foot like
Velociraptor and it
had a mouth full of sharp
teeth.
Bambiraptor is considered
by many to be the North
American version of
Archaeopteryx Clearly
a short step away from its
European relative, this
specimen is an exceptionally
important piece of the
bird/dinosaur puzzle. With
more than 90 percent of the
animal discovered, along
with the remains of what may
be a second individual, this
specimen will continue to
provide insight into the
evolution of birds.
Note: Bambiraptor is NOT
named after a famous cartoon
deer. Bambi is short for the
Italian word "Bambino,"
which means baby. |
