A giant raptor discovered in South Korea in April, named Fujianipus yingliangi, has redefined the scale of these predatory dinosaurs, offering a stark contrast to the more modestly-sized velociraptors that the public has come to know through the “Jurassic Park” franchise. With a hip height of an impressive five foot nine inches and an overall length of 16 feet, this formidable predator would have presented a terrifying figure, eclipsing the size of the fictional raptors portrayed in the movies.
Dr. Anthony Romilio, a paleontologist from the University of Queensland’s Dinosaur Lab, captured the startling nature of this discovery when he said, “Imagine something like that coming at you at full speed.” The established image of velociraptors, thanks to the big screen, has been that of human-sized, muscular, and aggressive hunters. However, Fujianipus yingliangi has dramatically outstripped this, with 1.8-meter-long legs, suggesting it was a considerably more imposing presence.
The existence of this giant raptor was deduced not from fossilized bones, but rather from footprints uncovered in Fujian Province, southeastern China. The tracks were found in 2020 by a research team led by Lida Xing, an associate professor from China University of Geosciences, which set out to explore reported dinosaur footprints in the region. Analyzing these footprints, scientists concluded that the creature responsible must have been truly gigantic. These tracks belong to a group known as Troodontids, which appeared in the late Jurassic period, around 95 million years ago.
According to Dr. Romilio, the emergence of large Troodontids is a relatively new concept within paleontology. Bones discovered in Alaska suggested a trend towards gigantism near the ancient Arctic Circle, potentially due to less species competition in the region’s extended periods of winter darkness. The Fujianipus yingliangi tracks imply that these raptors were not confined to the north but were more widely dispersed across latitudes.
The discovery adds a fresh perspective to the diversity and adaptability of raptor dinosaurs. As Dr. Romilio noted, the team has also studied the world’s tiniest dinosaur footprints, raptor tracks in South Korea just one centimeter long, underscoring the vast range of sizes these dinosaurs could achieve.
The excitement of real-world paleontological discoveries is paralleled by the creative liberties taken in depictions of dinosaurs in films like “Jurassic World: Dominion.” The latest installment in the series brings forth an array of extinct animals, portrayed with varying degrees of accuracy and imagination. The film’s portrayal of velociraptors, significantly larger than their real-world counterparts, and scenes involving dinosaurs in cold climates and feathered dinosaurs diving into icy waters, push the boundaries of current scientific consensus.
The debate surrounding the portrayal of dinosaurs as feathered or warm-blooded creatures in the film medium continues to be contentious. Studies and fossil evidence present conflicting viewpoints, with some researchers, such as Alan Feduccia, challenging the notion of feathered dinosaurs. Meanwhile, the Jurassic franchise has embraced these concepts, incorporating them into its on-screen universe.
Relevant articles:
– Giant velociraptor bigger than Jurassic Park imaginings discovered, The Telegraph
– Imaginary Dinosaur Science Runs Wild in Jurassic World: Dominion, The Institute for Creation Research