Name:
Achillobator (combination Greek/Mongolian for "Achilles warrior"); pronounced ah-KILL-oh-bate-ore
Habitat:
Plains of central Asia
Historical Period:
Late Cretaceous (95-85 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 15 feet long; weight unknown
Diet:
Meat
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Large size; huge claws on feet; odd alignment of hips
About Achillobator:
As far as paleontologists can tell, Achillobator (the name, "Achilles warrior," refers both to this dinosaur's large size and to the large Achilles tendons it must have had in its feet) was a raptor, in the same family as Deinonychus and Velociraptor. However, this carnivore does have some quirky anatomical features (mainly concerning the alignment of its hips) that differentiate it from its more famous cousins, which has led some experts to speculate that it's an entirely new type of dinosaur.
Like other raptors of the Cretaceous period, Achillobator is often depicted as sporting a coat of feathers, underlining its close evolutionary relationship to modern birds.
