A different kind of raptor
In December 2002, paleontologists discovered the partial skeleton of a large, unusual predator in the Bajo de Santa Rosa locality of Río Negro Province, Argentina. Unearthed from the Allen Formation, a geological layer dating to the late Campanian-Maastrichtian ages about 70 million years ago, the fossil was formally named Austroraptor cabazai in 2008. The name translates to "southern thief," honoring its discovery in the Southern Hemisphere.
Austroraptor was a large dromaeosaurid, a family of feathered theropods popularly known as "raptors." It measured an estimated 5 to 6 meters (16 to 20 feet) in length and may have weighed between 300 and 520 kilograms (660 to 1,150 pounds). This makes it one of the largest dromaeosaurids known from anywhere in the world. Its most distinctive feature is its skull, which is disproportionately long and low. At an estimated 80 centimeters (31 inches), the skull is more elongated than that of any other dromaeosaurid. This elongated snout, combined with numerous small, conical teeth, shows a strong similarity to the skulls of spinosaurids—dinosaurs known to have been at least partially fish-eaters. This suggests Austroraptor was a specialized predator, likely hunting fish and other small prey in the coastal environments of Late Cretaceous Argentina.