Adasaurus
Adasaurus was a feathered raptor that lived in what is now Mongolia. It had a small, blunt sickle claw on its foot, unlike most other raptors. Scientists think it may have used this claw less often for hunting.1
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Fun facts
Adasaurus had a small, blunt sickle claw on its second toe, unlike the big, sharp claw of most raptors.1
It lived about 70 to 68 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.1
Adasaurus is a dromaeosaurid, a group of dinosaurs closely related to birds.1
The first fossils of Adasaurus were found in the 1970s and named by Mongolian paleontologist Rinchen Barsbold in 1983.1
Some scientists once thought the small sickle claw did not belong to Adasaurus, but later studies confirmed it was real.1
Adasaurus shared its home with giant dinosaurs like Tarbosaurus and Deinocheirus.1
Most asked questions about Adasaurus
?How big was Adasaurus?
Adasaurus was about 2.4 to 3.5 metres (7.8 to 11.5 feet) long and weighed around 36 to 87 kilograms (80 to 192 pounds).1
?What did Adasaurus eat?
Adasaurus was a carnivorous raptor, so it likely ate meat, possibly small animals or dinosaurs. Scientists don't know its exact diet.1
?Did Adasaurus have feathers?
Yes, scientists think Adasaurus had feathers or a fuzzy body covering, because it belonged to a group of dinosaurs closely related to birds.2
?Why did Adasaurus have a small sickle claw?
Adasaurus had a small, blunt sickle claw on its second toe, unlike the big sharp claws of most raptors. Scientists think it may have used this claw less often for hunting.1
?When did Adasaurus live?
Adasaurus lived about 70 to 68 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.1
?Where was Adasaurus found?
Adasaurus fossils were found in the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia, in the Gobi Desert.1
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Myth buster
Myth: All raptors had huge, sharp sickle claws for slashing prey.
Truth: Adasaurus had a small, blunt sickle claw, so not all raptors had big claws.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Adasaurus
- Named by
- Barsbold 19773
- Group
- Raptors
- Family / clade
- Dromaeosauridae3
- Classification
- Theropoda > Dromaeosauridae3
- Age of the rocks
- 72 to 66 million years (Maastrichtian)3
- Rock formations
- Nemegt3
- Countries
- Mongolia3
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- Adasaurus was first described in 1983 by Mongolian paleontologist Rinchen Barsbold. The fossils were found in the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia.13
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure why Adasaurus had such a small sickle claw. It might have used it less often for hunting.1
Where the facts come from
- Adasaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Adasaurus โ Facts, Size, Diet & Pronunciation | Types of Dinosaurs (typesofdinosaurs.com)
- Adasaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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