Revisiting a Recent Raptor

In the somewhat recent past we discussed a large dromaeosaur of the middle north of the United States. That dromaeosaur is was recently discovered and described and is named Dakotaraptor steini. This is the last full week of April and Dakotaraptor is the calendar dinosaur for the month of April. To refresh the reader's memory, Dakotaraptor is one of the largest North American dromaeosaur discovered to date and was recovered from South Dakota's Hell Creek formation. This formation is Cretaceous in origin and Dakotaraptor is from an area of the formation that correlates to the youngest rocks and therefore the end of the Cretaceous. Throughout the publication and popularizing of the description of Dakotaraptor the paleoartist Emily Willoughby has portrayed the dinosaur time and again. This illustration is the only illustration of hers that was not featured the last time that Dakotaraptor was the dinosaur of the week. She posted this little sketch on Twitter and it is absolutely adorable.

©Emily Willoughby