Raptor Tracker: On The Trail Of Velociraptor Relative
In the blockbuster "Jurassic World", actor Chris Pratt joins forces with a pack of swift and lethal velociraptors. "Velociraptor belongs to a group of predatory dinosaurs called the deinonychosaurs, or simply the 'raptors'," says University of Alberta paleontologist Scott Persons. "Raptors are characterized by particularly nasty feet. Their big toes each bore an enlarged and wickedly hooked talon, which makes raptors well suited for Hollywood fight scenes." Persons and University of Alberta alumnus Lida Xing are part of the research team that has just documented a rich fossil footprint site in central China, which contains the tracks of several kinds of dinosaurs, including raptors. From these tracks, the team has gained new insights into raptor locomotion. read more