Post by Infinity Blade on Mar 1, 2014 18:04:03 GMT 5
Achillobator giganticus
Achillobator (pronounced /??k?l??be?t?r/; "Achilles' warrior/hero") is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur from the late Cretaceous Period of what is now Mongolia, about 90 million years ago. It was probably an active bipedal predator, hunting with the large sickle-shaped claw on the second toe of each hind foot. It was a large dromaeosaurid: the holotype and only known individual of Achillobator is estimated as 5 meters (16 ft) long. The fossil remains of Achillobator were first discovered during a Mongolian and Russian field expedition in 1989, though it was not described and named until ten years later, in 1999, by Mongolian paleontologist Altangerel Perle, and Americans Mark Norell and Jim Clark, although the description was not complete and was actually published without the knowledge of the latter two authors. Estimates suggest that Achillobator weighed 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds) at most.
Brontornis burmeisteri
Brontornis was a genus of giant flightless predatory birds that lived in Patagonia.[1][2][3][4][5][6] The only species currently accepted as valid is B. burmeisteri. It has traditionally been placed in the family Phorusrhacidae, nicknamed "Terror Birds" for their large size and predatory lifestyle, and more precisely to the subfamily Brontornithinae, which contained extremely large and very heavyset forms. It is known from bones, mainly of the legs and feet but also portions of some skulls and backbone, found in several localities of Santa Cruz Province. B. burmeisteri was the second tallest species of phorusrhacid, with a height of around 2.8 m (9.2 ft) and the heaviest species of phorusrhacid with an estimated weight of 350–400 kg (770–880 lb) (Alvarenga & Höfling, 2003), making it the third-heaviest bird ever according to current knowledge (after Aepyornis maximus and Dromornis stirtoni), and the most massive land predator of its time and place. Due to its bulk, it probably had a lifestyle between an ambush predator and one that actively chased prey, pouncing on the latter from a hideout and bringing it down by sheer force of attack after a short chase. In attacking prey (but probably not necessarily in a defensive situation, as it was too slow-moving) it most likely was the dominant carnivore of Miocene Patagonia, being able to kill even large animals such as the elephant-like Astrapotherium and in the predatory role being on par with a pack of Thylacosmilus (metatherian sabre-tooth). It coexisted with some slightly smaller and more active phorusrhacids like Phorusrhacos, but apparently became extinct before the appearance of the immense Argentavis, the largest flying bird ever.
Achillobator (pronounced /??k?l??be?t?r/; "Achilles' warrior/hero") is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur from the late Cretaceous Period of what is now Mongolia, about 90 million years ago. It was probably an active bipedal predator, hunting with the large sickle-shaped claw on the second toe of each hind foot. It was a large dromaeosaurid: the holotype and only known individual of Achillobator is estimated as 5 meters (16 ft) long. The fossil remains of Achillobator were first discovered during a Mongolian and Russian field expedition in 1989, though it was not described and named until ten years later, in 1999, by Mongolian paleontologist Altangerel Perle, and Americans Mark Norell and Jim Clark, although the description was not complete and was actually published without the knowledge of the latter two authors. Estimates suggest that Achillobator weighed 350 kilograms (771.6 pounds) at most.
Brontornis burmeisteri
Brontornis was a genus of giant flightless predatory birds that lived in Patagonia.[1][2][3][4][5][6] The only species currently accepted as valid is B. burmeisteri. It has traditionally been placed in the family Phorusrhacidae, nicknamed "Terror Birds" for their large size and predatory lifestyle, and more precisely to the subfamily Brontornithinae, which contained extremely large and very heavyset forms. It is known from bones, mainly of the legs and feet but also portions of some skulls and backbone, found in several localities of Santa Cruz Province. B. burmeisteri was the second tallest species of phorusrhacid, with a height of around 2.8 m (9.2 ft) and the heaviest species of phorusrhacid with an estimated weight of 350–400 kg (770–880 lb) (Alvarenga & Höfling, 2003), making it the third-heaviest bird ever according to current knowledge (after Aepyornis maximus and Dromornis stirtoni), and the most massive land predator of its time and place. Due to its bulk, it probably had a lifestyle between an ambush predator and one that actively chased prey, pouncing on the latter from a hideout and bringing it down by sheer force of attack after a short chase. In attacking prey (but probably not necessarily in a defensive situation, as it was too slow-moving) it most likely was the dominant carnivore of Miocene Patagonia, being able to kill even large animals such as the elephant-like Astrapotherium and in the predatory role being on par with a pack of Thylacosmilus (metatherian sabre-tooth). It coexisted with some slightly smaller and more active phorusrhacids like Phorusrhacos, but apparently became extinct before the appearance of the immense Argentavis, the largest flying bird ever.
