Name:
Ornitholestes (Greek for "bird robber"); pronounced or-nith-oh-LEST-eez
Habitat:
Forests of western North America
Historical Period:
Late Jurassic (155-145 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 5 feet long and 25 pounds
Diet:
Meat
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Slender build; long hind legs
About Ornitholestes:
Discovered in 1903, Ornitholestes was given its name (Greek for "bird robber") before paleontologists had grappled with the evolutionary origin of birds. It's certainly possible that this slender theropod preyed on the proto-birds of the late Jurassic period (such as Archaeopteryx), but since birds didn't really come into their own until the late Cretaceous, it's more likely that Ornitholestes feasted on small lizards and the carrion left over by larger carnivores.
Whatever the case, there's not much fossil evidence to support either supposition: unlike the case with its close cousins Coelophysis and Compsognathus, remains of Ornitholestes are few and far between, necessitating a large amount of guesswork.
