Utahraptor fossil map
Where fossils of Utahraptor have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 130 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 130 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Theropods |
|---|---|
| Lived | 137.05–132.6 million years ago (Valanginian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Dromaeosauridae |
| Named by | Kirkland et al. 1993 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 4 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Cedar Mountain |
About Utahraptor
Utahraptor (meaning "Utah's predator") is a genus of large dromaeosaurid (a group of feathered carnivorous theropods) dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period from around 139 to 135 million years ago in what is now the United States. The genus was described in 1993 by American paleontologist James Kirkland and colleagues with the type species Utahraptor ostrommaysi, based on fossils that had been unearthed earlier from the Cedar Mountain Formation of Utah. Later, many additional specimens were described including those from the skull and postcranium in addition to those of younger individuals.
It is the largest-known member of the family Dromaeosauridae, measuring about 6–7 meters (20–23 ft) long and typically weighing around 500 kilograms (1,100 lb). As a heavily built, ground-dwelling, bipedal carnivore, its large size and variety of unique features have earned it attention in both pop culture and the scientific community. The jaws of Utahraptor were lined with small, serrated teeth that were used in conjunction with a large "killing claw" on its second toe to dispatch its prey. Its skull was boxy and elongated, akin to other dromaeosaurids like Dromaeosaurus and Velociraptor.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Utahraptor (revision 1381167284), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q131193.
