Pete
Buchholz
Senior Writer
Seventy-five-million-years ago, an unusual cousin of Velociraptor hunted fish while diving. The dinosaur, named Halszkaraptor, was about the same size as a goose, and had a very similar look. Its small head was on the end of a long neck, and the tail was much shorter than other “raptors.”
Paleontologists Andrea Cau and colleagues note that the fossil shares many anatomical similarities to different kinds of aquatic predators. Halszkaraptor's long neck is similar to many predatory aquatic birds and reptiles, particularly fish-eating ducks. The arm bones also show similarities to diving birds and aquatic reptiles that use their forelimbs to swim.
Being well served by nerves and blood-vessels alike, its snout was highly sensitive. It was flattened and broad, with a U-shaped profile when seen from above. The jaws were lined with dozens of small recurved teeth reminiscent of many fish-eating animals. Its face looked as if you mixed a duck with an alligator.
