Dino card No. 2003 of 2,027

Zapsalis

Say it: ZAP-sa-lis

Name means: “thorough scissors”1

Ate: MeatRaptorsLate Cretaceous

Zapsalis was a small, fast, meat-eating dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. It is known only from its teeth, which were shaped like scissors and perfect for slicing through flesh.1

Lived

86 to 66 million years ago2

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Canada (Alberta) and United States (Montana, Wyoming)2

Food

Meat2

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

cool stuff

Fun facts

Zapsalis is known only from its teeth, not from any other bones. Scientists call it a 'tooth taxon'.1

The name Zapsalis means 'thorough scissors' in Greek, because its teeth look like sharp scissors.1

Zapsalis lived between about 85 and 66 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous.2

Its teeth have rounded denticles (little bumps) and vertical grooves, which help scientists tell them apart from other raptor teeth.1

Some scientists think Zapsalis teeth might have been used for preening feathers, like some other raptors.1

Zapsalis was named by famous fossil hunter Edward Drinker Cope in 1876, during the 'Bone Wars' with his rival Othniel Charles Marsh.1

AI-made picture of Zapsalis — An AI-made picture of how Zapsalis might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Zapsalis

?How big was Zapsalis?

Nobody knows for sure, because only teeth have been found. The teeth are about 12 mm long, so it was probably a small dinosaur, maybe 1 to 2 metres long.1 2

?What did Zapsalis eat?

Zapsalis was a meat-eater. Its sharp, scissor-like teeth were perfect for slicing through flesh.1 2

?Is Zapsalis a dinosaur?

Yes, Zapsalis is a dinosaur. It is a type of dromaeosaurid theropod, which is a group of small, fast, meat-eating dinosaurs.1 2

Ask Rex about Zapsalis

Rex only answers questions about this page. 3 questions a day.

Rex is an AI and can make mistakes. He runs on servers in the EU and questions are never saved. Never type your name or other personal things.

Myth buster

Myth: Zapsalis is a complete dinosaur known from a full skeleton.

Truth: Zapsalis is only known from a few teeth. No other bones have been found.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Zapsalis
Named by: Cope 18762
Group: Raptors
Family / clade: Dromaeosauridae2
Classification: Theropoda > Dromaeosauridae2
Age of the rocks: 86 to 66 million years (Santonian / Maastrichtian)2
Rock formations: Milk River, Lance, Hell Creek2
Countries: Canada, USA2
Fossil records: 7 in the Paleobiology Database2
Discovery: Zapsalis was named by American paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope in 1876, based on a single tooth from the Judith River Formation in Montana, USA.1
Still debated: Scientists still debate whether Zapsalis is a valid genus or just the teeth of another raptor like Saurornitholestes.1

Where the facts come from

Zapsalis (en.wikipedia.org)
Zapsalis in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

Rex is hungry! Dino Wiki is a dad's project for his dino-loving son, free with no ads. Grown-ups can feed Rex a snack to help keep it online.Feed Rex