Dakotaraptor | The ghost of Hell Creek

Let's find out about the ghost of the forest known as Dakotaraptor...and if it even existed...

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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:26 Discovery
2:01 Description
3:48 Environment
4:36 What's with the claws?
5:02 Did it even exist?...

All pictures are either licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0, 3.0 or 4.0 International license or come under the fair use policy

Image credit:
The Dakotaraptor fossil, next to a paleontologist for scale. Robert DePalma
T.rex by Fred Weirum
Triceratops by arvalis
(look for other animal credit)
Juvenile T.rex, Dakotaraptor and Acheroraptor by arvalis

[kevinnorwood]

From my understanding, Dakotaraptor was a raptor that shattered a long-held stereotype belief about Dromaeosaurs. For the longest time, it appeared to be believed that the Raptors/Dromaeosaurs started out big, but then kept getting progressively smaller, sacrificing body size for brain size. Then Dakotaraptor is discovered, and that belief is pretty much instantly thrown out the window. Because here you have a Dromaeosaur that is nearly as big as Utahraptor, but it's living alongside T-Rex.

[Quetzalcoatl_Feathered_Serpent]

Its likely Dakota Raptor did exist, as it fit well with the Utahraptor and Juvi T-Rex's and there was overlap as the Rex's likely competed with the Dromaeosaurs in what ever niche they filled. Even today in North America several predators overlap each other.

The Bears, Wolves, Mountain Lions, Coyotes, Fox etc. A number of them will tend to prey on the same animal or feed on alternate food sources. Bears, Wolves and Coyotes for example are not strictly carnivores and can and do eat other sources if they find them.

Its likely this was the case for the dinosaurs. The Utah and Dakota likely filled the role of a medium sized predator, and the T-Rex young filled the role temporarily as one as well until it reached a large enough size that the raptors couldn't challenge.

[callusklaus]

Let's examine some modern species interactions that may shed some light on predator competition.

In Yellowstone, we can see that wolves and brown bears overlapp and often interact with each other.

In British Columbia, brown bears and cougars are both large predators that have population that overlapp.

These animals niche partition. Cougars are ambush hunting specialists, who use the dense undergrowth of the (dwindling) Canadian forest to obscure themselves. They also hide on steep rock faces. Bears often hunt by ambush, but not to this degree. Bears often forage and diversify their diet.

I wonder if a similar kind of interchange wasn't taking place here. Perhaps this raptor was scaling the mountainous west coast, or scrambling up large trees to pounce on prey below. Juvenile Tyrannosaurus were thin, built for speed. Perhaps dense woodland was more suited to the raptors, watching intently for something moving on the forest floor. Open spaces or scrubland more suited to the lithe young tyrannosaurs

[manueldejesusrojassandi]

The main question is if Dakotaraptor is a separate genus or the remains are just part of Acheroraptor. So there shouldn't be doubt there was a big dromeosaur in Hell Creek, then. . .

[CarolinaSportz]

I hope they find evidence that confirms Dakotaraptor as a valid species. That or Aecheroraptor was, in fact, Dakotaraptor all along. The Dromaeosaurs are my favorite dinosaur family, and I hope that they can grow as large and even LARGER than Utahraptor.

[sparrowdrone]

My guess is the medium sized predators were both large dromaeosaurs and juvenile tyrannosaurs. I’m guessing the dromaeosaurs ran in larger groups so they could stand off the rexes without risking a fight. I’m guessing juvenile rexes also ran together in small groups until they were big enough individually to intimidate more than one raptor.

[thomasgumersell]

I found your video fascinating. Raptors have always intrigued me. I raised many types of Poultry in high school if one ever watched Turkeys, Chickens etc They truly will hunt and eat almost anything Thank you for your great video on the Raptors. 💪🏻🙏🏻✨

[TheRipster-pc]

I think of Dakotaraptor the same way I think about Nanotyrannus. Its not only possible but likely a large bodied dromaeosaur/ small bodied tyrannosaur coexisted with T. Rex. Of course I, not an expert, am basing my hypothesis off of similar formations from other continents. Tarbosaurus and Alioramus come to mind as the biggest inspiration for my viewpoint but I could be very wrong.

[Alberad]

Thank you very much for creating & sharing this thought provoking nice video about Dakotaraptor.

[johnaustink]

So the question is really was Dakotaraptor its own species or just the adult form of Archeaoraptor? People take it too far when they say it never existed. The animal we're thinking of existed, it's just what we call it that's in question.

[peterburridge]

First of May, I say well done on your video. I really enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to make it. My thoughts on Dakotaraptor is that this dinosaur was very real but filled a different role within the environment that it lived in. In turn of food wise I would say that it prayed on young Edmontosaurus and other ormithopods

[mhdfrb]

There's no reason why medium-sized predator can't coexist with large predator. Best example of this is in the Morrison formation, from the largest Saurophaganax to Allosaurus and to medium size theropods like Ceratosaurus and Marshosaurus. All of them exist at the same place and live just fine

[nanonano]

I question whether an entire niche can simply be filled with the juveniles of a single species that then fills another niche when it grows up. Was this hypothesis based on anything beyond the lack of opposing evidence and public obsession with the T-rex?

[ian.r]

now i'm convinced that dakotaraptor is a chimaera of non-dromaeosaurid dinosaurs

[johnsteiner]

I'm still hoping that the pack-hunting tyrannosaur hypothesis still bares out with different aged individuals having different roles in the hunt.

[caesarvalentinianus]

Are you getting cast for the next live action Mario movie?Interesting moustache and great vid as always!

[michaelstone]

If the claws were not as strong as on most drawn measures though, then what were they using to kill their jaws? Unusual for dromaeosaurus.

[the_blue_jay_raptor]

Imagine a Dakotaraptor arguing with a Young T.rex over food

[smashtoad]

If we have so little evidence of this animal's existence...maybe we just leave feathers out of the discussion for now? I have nothing against feathers other than they are becoming a "given"....and shouldn't, especially for an animal so large.

[WildBillCox]

Thank you for inviting comment.
Lions are co-extant with leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas. From this truth I feel confident to postulate the following:
Speed, maneuverability, and intelligence. Three factors that can lead to a smaller carnivore co-existing with a larger one. If the smaller raptor possessed superiority in two or all three of these factors when compared to T Rex of similar size, then it's possible the smaller species could act with relative impunity around its far larger distant cousin.
With that said, every dinosaur was vulnerable to crocodile attack as it came to water to drink or search for prey-or mates. My point is that a variety of predators might be supported by an endemic population of prey species. Every dinosaur had to come to water holes or rivers eventually. When and wherever that might be (in tropic or semitropical areas, at least) it's likely there'd be crocodiles. Since most predators in regions inhabited by crocodiles are able to persist (as species if not as individuals), I believe it possible that smaller raptors could do so, despite the presence of either crocodile, or large terrestrial rival/competitor/existential threat.