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Glite Dictionary
Utahraptor

Utahraptor

1 9.9
A large meat-eating two-legged dinosaur that lived in North America long ago
  • noun
  • /juːˈtɑːræptər/
  • Specialized
: Utahraptor
  • The Utahraptor was a formidable predator.

Examples

  • Paleontologists believe that the Utahraptor may have hunted in packs, like many modern predatory animals.

  • Fossils of Utahraptor were first found in Utah during the early 1990s.

  • Scientists believe that Utahraptor was one of the largest raptors of its kind.

  • The discovery of Utahraptor provided new insights into the size range of dromaeosaurid dinosaurs.

  • Many fossils of Utahraptors have been discovered in Utah.

  • The fossil remains of the Utahraptor provide important insights into the behavior of carnivorous dinosaurs.

  • In the museum, visitors can see a life-sized reconstruction of a Utahraptor in its natural habitat.

Synonyms

utahraptor
vsUtahraptor
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A large meat-eating dinosaur with a long curved claw on each hind foot

is the formal scientific name focusing on genus, species, and fossil origin

Surface Forms

Utahraptor singular
Utahraptors plural

Morphology

Utahraptor = Utah + raptor (semi-transparent) = Utah + raptor

The genus name is built from the place name 'Utah' and the recognizable noun 'raptor', but its exact taxonomic reference is a conventional scientific naming rather than an everyday compositional meaning.

Etymology

Utahraptor combines Utah and raptor, from the Latin rapere meaning 'to seize'. So, the name can be read as a 'seizer from Utah', which fits a large meat-eating dinosaur that would grab its prey.