Dracoraptor hanigani

†Dracoraptor hanigani ('dragon plunderer of Hanigu') is a small basal theropod from the earliest Jurassic of Wales, UK. Estimated at ~0.7 m, it is among the earliest Jurassic theropods from Britain and post-dates the Triassic-Jurassic extinction. Recovered from sea cliff exposures near Penarth, its discovery broadens knowledge of the earliest Jurassic dinosaur fauna.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Dracoraptor hanigani was a meat-eating predator. Carnivorous dinosaurs were active hunters or scavengers, equipped with sharp teeth and claws for catching and consuming prey. They occupied the top of the food chain in their ecosystems.

Time Period

Jurassic Early Mesozoic Era

Dracoraptor hanigani lived during the Jurassic Early period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 201.4 to 174.7 million years ago.

After the Triassic-Jurassic extinction, dinosaurs rapidly diversified and became the dominant land vertebrates. Early sauropods and theropods began to evolve larger body sizes.