Description:

Complete Dromaeosaur Dinosaur. Dromaeosaurs were the most bird-like of all theropod dinosaurs; their bodies were covered in feathers. Dromaeosaurs, such as the famous Veloceraptor, had a large skull with sharp serrated teeth, long arms and large hands with three long fingers, three toed feet and a long stiffened tail. At least some Dromaeosaurs had bird-like pennaceous feathers on their arms and tails and short down-like feathers covering their body. Most Dromaeosaurs were small to medium-sized dinosaurs 2-15 feet long. This rare, bird-like Dromaeosuar is 125 million years old and was found in a dry lake bed in Central Asia. It is 30 inches long on a 29 x 18 inch stone matrix. The body is 13 inches long and the long, stiffened tail is 17 inches long. Interestingly, the arms and legs are the same length--11 inches long-- which is much different from most dinosaurs which have much longer legs than arms. This Dromaeosaur appears to be a very primitive one in that the second claw on its feet is not much longer than the other two claws. With most Dromaeosaurs, the second toe had a larger killing claw and was held off of the ground. One of the feet has all three claws and the other foot has two claws. Both of the long arms have only one claw preserved. The all-important skull is quite large-- 3 x 2 inches--and virtually complete with 16 sharp teeth, some of which are disarticulated in the skull. This dinosaur is mostly complete and probably a composite of two or more partial dinosaurs that were put together to form one excellent complete specimen.

All of the dinosaurs found in the soft volcanic ash that turned to rock at the bottom of a lake bed are found disarticulated and in many dozens of pieces. It is somewhat like putting together a puzzle to get a complete dinosaur from all of the pieces. Dromaeosaurs had hollow light bones like birds, which can be seen from this specimen in that many of the bones have been cracked and compressed in the burial process. This is indeed a rare opportunity to own a very rare theropod dinosaur that has only about 10-15 percent restoration and whose looks confirm the theory that birds are dinosaur. This Dromaeosaur would have had feathers even though no feathers are preserved on this specimen. This dramatic fossil comes with a metal display stand to make it the featured fossil in any collection.

Add $100 for domestic shipping.
Estimated Value $10,000 - 15,000.

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