The 10 Largest Raptors Ever Discovered (Dromaeosaurids) скачать в хорошем качестве

The 10 Largest Raptors Ever Discovered (Dromaeosaurids)

Raptors, more accurately known as dromaeosaurids, were a family of bird-like dinosaurs that dominated the Cretaceous period. Though often portrayed as large, scaly, and pack-hunting monsters in movies like *Jurassic Park*, the reality is even more fascinating. The most famous raptor, *Velociraptor*, was actually a small, turkey-sized creature, fully covered in feathers. Their movie counterparts were based on a much larger relative, *Deinonychus*. These predators were characterized by their light, agile bodies, long stiff tails for balance, and, most famously, a large, retractable sickle-shaped claw on each foot. This "killing claw" was likely used not for slashing but for pinning and gripping prey, much like a modern bird of prey. Raptors were swift, intelligent, and equipped with a keen sense of sight and smell. While the idea of them hunting in coordinated packs is still debated, their adaptations made them formidable hunters of smaller animals. The discovery of feathered raptor fossils has cemented their close evolutionary relationship to modern birds.