Dromaeosauridae

Dromaeosauridae is a family of feathered coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs. They were generally small to medium-sized feathered carnivores that flourished in the Cretaceous period. The name Dromaeosauridae means 'running lizards', from Greek δρομαῖος (dromaîos), meaning 'running at full speed', 'swift', and σαῦρος (saûros), meaning 'lizard'. In informal usage, they are often called raptors, a term popularized by the film Jurassic Park; several genera include the term "raptor" directly in their name, and popular culture has come to emphasize their bird-like appearance and speculated bird-like behavior.

Dromaeosauridae

User:Morosaurus shinyae Junchang Lü & Stephen L. Brusatte Ben Townsend Ghedoghedo User:Captmondo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikipedia/Commons. May be a photograph of a specimen, or an artist’s reconstruction — an interpretation of a skeleton, since colour and soft tissue are almost never preserved.

On record

Recorded, not inferred
Sits inside
DeinonychosauriaPBDB
Diet
carnivorePBDB
Life habit
ground dwellingPBDB
Motility
actively mobilePBDB, for Theropoda
Environment
terrestrialPBDB

Time the record covers

At least 98 million years on record.

The record covers at least 170.9 Mya to 72.2 Mya. No occurrence read is dated outside 184.2 Mya to 61.66 Mya.

Early Jurassic — about 4 of 1018 occurrencesEarly JurassicMiddle Jurassic — about 3 of 1018 occurrencesMiddle JurassicLate Jurassic — about 25 of 1018 occurrencesLate JurassicEarly Cretaceous — about 162 of 1018 occurrencesEarly CretaceousLate Cretaceous — about 823 of 1018 occurrencesLate CretaceousPaleocene — about 0 of 1018 occurrences187–182 Mya — about 0.8 occurrences182–178 Mya — about 2 occurrences178–174 Mya — about 2 occurrences174–170 Mya — about 1 occurrence170–165 Mya — about 1.0 occurrences165–161 Mya — about 0.1 occurrences161–157 Mya — about 0.2 occurrences157–153 Mya — about 3 occurrences153–148 Mya — about 12 occurrences148–144 Mya — about 8 occurrences144–140 Mya — about 13 occurrences140–136 Mya — about 10 occurrences136–131 Mya — about 10 occurrences131–127 Mya — about 3 occurrences127–123 Mya — about 22 occurrences123–119 Mya — about 28 occurrences119–114 Mya — about 23 occurrences114–110 Mya — about 23 occurrences110–106 Mya — about 13 occurrences106–102 Mya — about 15 occurrences102–97 Mya — about 24 occurrences97–93 Mya — about 28 occurrences93–89 Mya — about 23 occurrences89–85 Mya — about 43 occurrences85–80 Mya — about 153 occurrences80–76 Mya — about 149 occurrences76–72 Mya — about 151 occurrences72–68 Mya — about 183 occurrences68–63 Mya — about 74 occurrences63–59 Mya — about 0.2 occurrences170.9 Mya72.2 Mya187 Mya59 Mya

1,018 occurrences of Dromaeosauridae on record, most of them in the Late Cretaceous. The Paleobiology Database records this as a living group, and the chart stops with its fossils rather than at the present. Bar height is expected occurrences, not a count: each fossil is spread across the span it is dated to, so a tall narrow bar means tight dating and a low wide one means loose.

When

1,018 occurrences

These are dates about fossils, not the animal: the record can only begin after it arose and end before it died out, so either end may reach further. Shares are expected occurrences: a fossil dated to a span is counted partly in each period it straddles. More on what this infers.

Found in

165 formations

Dinosaur Park — 50.73°N, 111.52°WDinosaur Park — 49.12°N, 110.47°WDinosaur Park — 50.75°N, 111.48°WDinosaur Park — 50.79°N, 111.62°WDinosaur Park — 50.75°N, 111.40°WDinosaur Park — 50.78°N, 111.33°WDinosaur Park — 51.44°N, 110.39°WDinosaur Park — 51.47°N, 110.39°WDinosaur Park — 52.45°N, 109.17°WDinosaur Park — 49.96°N, 110.27°WDinosaur Park — 49.20°N, 110.37°WDinosaur Park — 49.07°N, 110.45°WDinosaur Park — 50.73°N, 111.30°WDinosaur Park — 48.03°N, 110.24°WDinosaur Park — 50.76°N, 110.02°WDinosaur Park — 50.60°N, 111.62°WDinosaur Park — 50.68°N, 108.09°WHell Creek — 45.95°N, 103.96°WHell Creek — 46.10°N, 103.30°WHell Creek — 45.98°N, 103.75°WHell Creek — 46.18°N, 103.84°WHell Creek — 46.41°N, 103.94°WHell Creek — 46.38°N, 103.96°WHell Creek — 46.33°N, 103.90°WHell Creek — 46.46°N, 104.00°WHell Creek — 45.94°N, 103.95°WHell Creek — 47.80°N, 106.10°WHell Creek — 47.52°N, 106.40°WHell Creek — 47.68°N, 106.43°WHell Creek — 47.55°N, 107.12°WHell Creek — 47.62°N, 107.32°WHell Creek — 47.52°N, 106.98°WHell Creek — 47.57°N, 107.10°WHell Creek — 47.65°N, 106.65°WHell Creek — 47.58°N, 106.30°WHell Creek — 47.55°N, 107.25°WHell Creek — 47.52°N, 107.18°WHell Creek — 47.53°N, 106.92°WHell Creek — 47.07°N, 106.92°WHell Creek — 47.60°N, 107.23°WHell Creek — 47.73°N, 106.50°WHell Creek — 47.65°N, 106.20°WHell Creek — 47.63°N, 106.20°WHell Creek — 47.87°N, 106.18°WHell Creek — 46.90°N, 101.50°WHell Creek — 47.61°N, 106.90°WHell Creek — 47.60°N, 107.00°WHell Creek — 47.05°N, 107.35°WHell Creek — 45.05°N, 101.97°WHell Creek — 45.23°N, 103.21°WHell Creek — 45.66°N, 105.08°WHell Creek — 45.50°N, 103.10°WHell Creek — 45.53°N, 101.63°WHell Creek — 45.00°N, 103.19°WMilk River — 49.10°N, 111.80°WOldman — 50.75°N, 111.51°WOldman — 49.10°N, 110.94°WOldman — 49.08°N, 110.84°WOldman — 49.08°N, 110.68°WOldman — 49.16°N, 110.72°WOldman — 50.83°N, 111.32°WOldman — 49.28°N, 112.58°WOldman — 50.47°N, 110.39°WOldman — 50.82°N, 111.58°WOldman — 50.74°N, 111.49°WOldman — 50.75°N, 111.42°WOldman — 50.64°N, 110.91°WOldman — 50.73°N, 110.08°WOldman — 49.28°N, 112.20°WAguja — 29.32°N, 103.52°WAguja — 29.20°N, 103.20°WAguja — 29.10°N, 103.17°WAguja — 29.23°N, 103.57°WAguja — 29.29°N, 103.61°WCloverly — 45.44°N, 108.16°WCloverly — 44.51°N, 107.90°WCloverly — 44.98°N, 108.32°WCloverly — 46.34°N, 109.69°WCloverly — 45.20°N, 108.81°WCloverly — 45.36°N, 108.75°WCloverly — 43.22°N, 107.57°WCloverly — 45.34°N, 108.81°WCloverly — 45.38°N, 108.26°WCloverly — 45.41°N, 108.04°WCloverly — 45.35°N, 108.10°WCloverly — 45.26°N, 108.41°WCloverly — 44.66°N, 107.89°WCloverly — 44.50°N, 107.82°WCloverly — 44.83°N, 108.31°WCloverly — 45.49°N, 108.73°WCloverly — 46.33°N, 109.56°WCloverly — 45.10°N, 106.90°WLance — 43.49°N, 104.46°WLance — 41.57°N, 108.67°WLance — 43.17°N, 104.57°WLance — 43.12°N, 104.64°WLance — 43.18°N, 104.53°WLance — 43.13°N, 104.49°WLance — 44.37°N, 107.60°WFerris — 41.94°N, 106.88°WFerris — 41.80°N, 107.00°WFerris — 41.96°N, 106.89°WCedar Mountain — 38.83°N, 109.57°WCedar Mountain — 38.72°N, 109.69°WCedar Mountain — 39.05°N, 111.04°WCedar Mountain — 38.69°N, 111.26°WCedar Mountain — 38.73°N, 109.59°WCedar Mountain — 38.73°N, 109.50°WCedar Mountain — 38.83°N, 109.47°WCedar Mountain — 38.83°N, 109.27°WCedar Mountain — 38.64°N, 111.37°WCedar Mountain — 38.66°N, 111.24°WCedar Mountain — 38.85°N, 109.66°WCedar Mountain — 40.44°N, 109.31°WCedar Mountain — 40.52°N, 109.52°WCedar Mountain — 38.43°N, 110.79°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.54°N, 112.88°WHorseshoe Canyon — 53.45°N, 113.55°WHorseshoe Canyon — 52.00°N, 112.88°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.51°N, 112.84°WHorseshoe Canyon — 55.46°N, 117.42°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.47°N, 112.75°WHorseshoe Canyon — 51.65°N, 112.90°WJudith River — 46.47°N, 109.30°WJudith River — 46.46°N, 109.41°WJudith River — 48.93°N, 110.58°WJudith River — 46.10°N, 109.10°WJudith River — 46.42°N, 109.27°WJudith River — 46.44°N, 109.83°WJudith River — 46.76°N, 108.00°WJudith River — 48.41°N, 106.87°WBissekty — 42.12°N, 62.66°EBissekty — 41.29°N, 61.50°EBissekty — 41.78°N, 63.78°EDjadokhta — 44.25°N, 103.33°EDjadokhta — 43.66°N, 100.90°EDjadokhta — 44.22°N, 103.27°EDjadokhta — 44.13°N, 103.56°EDjadokhta — 44.00°N, 104.00°EDjadokhta — 44.15°N, 103.72°EDjadokhta — 44.09°N, 102.91°EKirtland — 36.27°N, 108.17°WKirtland — 36.34°N, 108.08°WKirtland — 36.10°N, 108.09°WKirtland — 36.50°N, 108.08°WKirtland — 36.29°N, 108.54°WKirtland — 36.17°N, 107.80°WKirtland — 36.31°N, 108.05°WKirtland — 36.51°N, 108.32°WJiufotang — 41.50°N, 121.22°EJiufotang — 41.42°N, 120.18°EJiufotang — 41.49°N, 120.23°EJiufotang — 43.64°N, 120.43°EJiufotang — 41.57°N, 120.16°EJiufotang — 40.65°N, 119.69°EJiufotang — 40.81°N, 119.80°EJiufotang — 40.91°N, 119.50°ELa Posa — 42.05°N, 0.22°WLa Posa — 42.53°N, 1.22°ELa Posa — 42.16°N, 0.96°ELa Posa — 42.27°N, 0.73°EDensuș-Ciula — 45.60°N, 22.85°EDensuș-Ciula — 45.63°N, 22.90°ETwo Medicine — 48.65°N, 112.97°WTwo Medicine — 47.81°N, 112.18°WTwo Medicine — 48.63°N, 113.75°WTwo Medicine — 47.82°N, 112.66°WTwo Medicine — 47.99°N, 112.28°WFruitland — 36.49°N, 108.49°WFruitland — 36.27°N, 108.26°WFruitland — 36.12°N, 107.78°WFruitland — 36.30°N, 108.20°WFruitland — 36.51°N, 108.32°WYixian — 41.60°N, 120.87°EYixian — 41.60°N, 120.84°EYixian — 41.37°N, 121.42°EYixian — 41.13°N, 121.14°EYixian — 40.64°N, 119.64°EYixian — 40.65°N, 119.68°EYixian — 41.24°N, 119.40°ECerro del Pueblo — 26.12°N, 101.12°WCerro del Pueblo — 25.52°N, 101.68°WCerro del Pueblo — 25.67°N, 101.30°WCerro del Pueblo — 25.54°N, 101.36°WCerro del Pueblo — 25.50°N, 101.75°WVitoria — 42.66°N, 2.63°WForemost — 50.07°N, 111.14°WForemost — 49.13°N, 110.87°WForemost — 49.48°N, 111.37°WForemost — 49.60°N, 111.00°WIron Springs — 37.80°N, 112.82°WIron Springs — 37.30°N, 113.40°WIron Springs — 37.57°N, 113.43°WIron Springs — 37.90°N, 112.74°W

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The named rock units Dromaeosauridae has been recovered from, largest first. Drawn where the rock is now, not where it formed. 141 further formations hold fewer occurrences each and are not listed. 40 occurrences have no formation on record, which is common for older literature.

Dromaeosauridae and its relatives

Late Cretaceous

Where Dromaeosauridae and its relatives were recorded in the Late Cretaceous.

Found in the same rock

1,367 taxa

The Paleobiology Database records 673 sites for Dromaeosauridae, and this reads 240 of them. The number is how many of those sites it was catalogued from too. The 24 sharing the most are listed.

This is not a list of everything alive at the time. It is only what has come out of the same ground as this animal and been written down.

Entered from

361 references

Each of the 1,018 occurrences read was entered from one of these publications, ordered by how many each accounts for. This is not a search for papers mentioning the name. 349 further references are not listed. Entries link to doi.org where the Paleobiology Database holds an identifier, and to its own record where it does not. Relayed as the Paleobiology Database holds them, not checked against what they resolve to.

Media and terms

Media content3

Picture of Dromaeosauridae

Credit
User:Morosaurus shinyae Junchang Lü & Stephen L. Brusatte Ben Townsend Ghedoghedo User:Captmondo
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Commercial use
the licence allows it

Structured light scan

Licence
not stated by the source
Commercial use
cannot be read from the licence given — check the record
Specimen
Dromaeosauridae indet. · dmnh:epv:149509

3D model

Source
Sketchfab
Licence
CC Attribution
Commercial use
cannot be read from the licence given — check the record

Smithsonian Open Access was not reached for this taxon, so this list is what the others held rather than everything there is.

The description on this site

Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0

This is what the site found, which is not the same as what exists.

Keep going

What may have been alongside itDeinonychosauria through timeFormations of the Late CretaceousThe world it lived on

Occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database, CC BY 4.0. Colbert and Russell 1969