| Pyroraptor | |
|---|---|
| |
| An artist's restoration of Pyroraptor olympius | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| clade: | Dinosauria |
| Superorder: | Theropoda |
| Genus: | †Pyroraptor Allain & Taquet, 2000 |
| Species: | †P. olympius |
| Binomial name | |
| †Pyroraptor olympius Allain & Taquet, 2000 | |
Pyroraptor is an extinct genus of dromaeosaurid from the Late Cretaceous of France. Each of these claws were 6.5 centimeters (2.5 inches) long. The type and only species was found in the south of France, in Provence, and is known only from a few bones, named Pyroraptor olympius by Allain and Taquet in 2000. The type specimen consists of the distinctive foot claws, as well as fossilized teeth, arm and back bones.
Discovery and naming[]
The first remains of Pyroraptor were discovered in southeastern France, at the La Boucharde locality of the Arc Basin in Provence. Finds of dromaeosaurid dinosaur remains are rare in Europe, and typically provide little taxonomic information. The first dromaeosaurid fossils found in France were those of Variraptor, although the bones were previously referred to a new Megalosaurus species.
Pyroraptor was described by French paleontologists Ronan Allain and Philippe Taquet in 2000, the type species is P. olympius. The genus name is Greek for "Fire thief", due to its remains being discovered after a forest fire occurred in 1992. The species name is derived from Mont Olympe, a mountain in Provence at the foot of which the animal's remains were unearthed.
The holotype specimen, MNHN BO001, consists of the second toe claw of the left foot. The assigned paratypes include the equivalent claw of the right foot; the left second metatarsal; another, more complete second toe claw; a right ulna (long forearm bone); and two teeth. Additional material from the Vitória Formation and the Tremp Group, both in Spain, was referred to Pyroraptor, including five pedal digits, one manual digit, a piece of a metacarpal, a right radius, a dorsal vertebra, and a tail vertebra.
Description[]
Pyroraptor was a smaller sized dromaeosaurid, around 8 feet (2.5 meters) long. A distinctive sign of many dromaeosaurids is that Pyroraptor had a very narrow, and long skull used for snatching up smaller prey. Most sources point to the Pyroraptor having a downy coat of feathers across its bodies, using close relatives and bone structure as evidence.
Pyroraptor in Jurassic World Alive
In popular culture[]
- Pyroraptor was featured in one episode of the documentary TV series, Dinosaur Planet, in which an individual Pyroraptor named "Pod" is swept onto an island dominated by dwarf-sized members of familiar dinosaur families.
- Pyroraptor is featured in Jurassic World: The Game as a rare carnivore. While it is accurately portrayed with a coat of feathers, it is shown inaccurately to be able to pronate its hands.
- Pyroraptor is also featured in the mobile game, Jurassic World: Alive. While it is accurately portrayed with a coat of feathers, it is shown inaccurately to be able to pronate its hands. It is an Epic carnivore in the game, and is the recipe for the hybrid, "Pyrritator".
- Pyroraptor appeared in Jurassic World: Dominion as one of the covered creatures in the movie alongside Therizinosaurus, Moros, Quetzalcoatlus, and Oviraptor. Not only was it properly feathered, which was already rare for the Jurassic series, but it also has correct wrist placement, being faced in and not down.
- Pyroraptor appeared as a juvenile in the fourth episode of the second season of Prehistoric Planet.
Gallery[]
Pyroraptor/Gallery