An artist's interpretation of Dakotaraptor, a fossil discovered by a team of researchers led by a KU alumnus. The fossil from the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota is thought to be about 17 feet long, making it among the largest raptors in the world.

A research team including Kansas University paleontologists has discovered a new giant raptor (unscientific translation: massive, freaky-looking carnivorous dinosaur-bird), KU announced Monday.

The fossil of this estimated 17-foot-long raptor — which was named Dakotaraptor — was found in the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota, and the team’s research on it was published Friday in the KU Paleontological Institute’s online journal, “Paleontological Contributions.”

An artist's interpretation of Dakotaraptor, a fossil discovered by a team of researchers led by a KU alumnus. The fossil from the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota is thought to be about 17 feet long, making it among the largest raptors in the world.

KU paleontologist David Burnham is a co-author on the study, as is the late KU paleontology professor and curator Larry Martin. The lead author is Robert DePalma, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Palm Beach Museum of Natural History, who studied with Martin as a graduate student, according to KU.

Here’s the beginning of the paper’s abstract — I may not understand half the words, but it still sounds exciting. (The full paper is online at kuscholarworks.ku.edu):

Most dromaeosaurids were small- to
medium-sized cursorial, scansorial,
and arboreal, sometimes volant
predators, but a comparatively small
percentage grew to gigantic
proportions. Only two such giant
“raptors” have been described from
North America. Here, we describe a new
giant dromaeosaurid, Dakotaraptor
steini gen. et sp. nov., from the Hell
Creek Formation of South Dakota. The
discovery represents the first giant
dromaeosaur from the Hell Creek
Formation, and the most recent in the
fossil record worldwide.

In KU’s news release, DePalma explained a little about Dakotaraptor’s behavior and abilities: “This Cretaceous period raptor would have been lightly built and probably just as agile as the vicious smaller theropods, such as the Velociraptor.”

The fossil itself is not here at KU, though. KU says Dakotaraptor is being researched and curated by DePalma’s research team in Florida, associated with the Palm Beach Museum of Natural History.

A claw from the Dakotaraptor, a fossil discovered by a team of researchers led by a KU alumnus. The fossil from the Hell Creek Formation in South Dakota is thought to be about 17 feet long, making it among the largest raptors in the world.