South American dino's wider roam | BBC

South American dino's wider roam


Neuquenraptor argentinus was
a fierce meat-eater in the Late
Cretaceous period


Neuquenraptor argentinus had
the characteristic sickle-shaped
claw

The fossil foot of a ferocious flesh eating dinosaur has been uncovered in Argentina, it is reported in the weekly science journal Nature.

Neuquenraptor argentinus belonged to a group of dinosaurs called the deinonychosaurs, which are thought of as Northern Hemisphere animals.

The find suggests the creatures were more widespread than first thought.

"This is the first time an animal like this has been found in South America," said chief author Fernando Novas.

Deinonychosaurs were a close relative of birds. They included the famous Velociraptor, which was brought to life in the film Jurassic Park.

Generally, deinonychosaurs were small and lightly built, with deadly teeth and a distinctive sickle-shaped claw on their second toe, which was perfect for disembowelling prey.

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