Dinosaur Profile: Megaraptor – the Killer Claw

By Stephen Day Argentina has been the home of some spectacular fossil discoveries in recent years. Some of the largest titans of our planet have been found in this country, including the colossal Giganotosaurus and Argentinosaurus. The thought of a 5.2 ton Giganotosaurus must have been terrifying sight for any prey, but imagine the thought of a predatory dinosaur with a 14-inch claw making its way towards you. Fig. 1. Megaraptor namunhuaiquii (© Jordan Mallon 2005). To understand more about this predator, we need to travel to modern day Patagonia and to the hills north-west of here. Fig. 2. The site of the find in South America. PROFILE INFORMATIONNameMegaraptor namunhuaiquii(Lance footed giant thief)ClassificationCarnosaurPeriodLate CretaceousAge 90/84myaLocationNear Patagonia, Argentina Often referred to as “the lake district”, the remote hills of north-west Patagonia are like those out of a fairytale. Snow capped hills, ancient forests and sapphire blue lakes are just some of the features that make this place picture-perfect. Isolated fisherman and bird life dwell here in a great sense of innocence. There is no denying that today, this is a place of utmost tranquillity and beauty wielded together. However not everything here is as innocent as it appears … In 1997, an Argentine scientist by the same of Dr. Fernando Novas, was digging around the hills of north-west Patagonia when he made a spectacular, yet unsettling discovery. Dr. Novas dug up a huge 13-inch dinosaur bone claw. Palaeontologists also speculate that when it was attached to the dinosaur it could have … Read More