HOME | DD

Description
Here is Balaur bondoc, a famous dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Romania. This animal, first described in 2010 as a bizarre dromaeosaur, has recently been reclassified as a primitive bird related to Jeholornis and Sapeornis. The paper, written by paleontologists Andrea Cau, Darren Naish and Tom Brougham, states that a bird Balaur is more likely than a dromaeosaurid one. Balaur showed some interesting characteristics, such as a reduced third finger in each hand, two "sickle claws" on each foot and stocky hindlimbs. Previously interpreted as a brutal killer, which could kill everything with it's four giant claws, now Balaur is seen as a tree-dwelling and omnivore creature, using it's claws to climb trees and perch on branches.

Balaur lived 70 million years ago in Romania, which was at that time a huge island in the Thetys sea called Hateg Island. It shared habitat with many species of dinosaurs, such as Zalmoxes and Elopteryx, and pterosaurs, like the giant Hatzegopteryx or the smaller Eurazhdarcho. Our bird was the biggest theropod of the island, and since it's discovery has been interpreted as a case of island gigantism.

Description
Here is Balaur bondoc, a famous dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Romania. This animal, first described in 2010 as a bizarre dromaeosaur, has recently been reclassified as a primitive bird related to Jeholornis and Sapeornis. The paper, written by paleontologists Andrea Cau, Darren Naish and Tom Brougham, states that a bird Balaur is more likely than a dromaeosaurid one. Balaur showed some interesting characteristics, such as a reduced third finger in each hand, two "sickle claws" on each foot and stocky hindlimbs. Previously interpreted as a brutal killer, which could kill everything with it's four giant claws, now Balaur is seen as a tree-dwelling and omnivore creature, using it's claws to climb trees and perch on branches.

Balaur lived 70 million years ago in Romania, which was at that time a huge island in the Thetys sea called Hateg Island. It shared habitat with many species of dinosaurs, such as Zalmoxes and Elopteryx, and pterosaurs, like the giant Hatzegopteryx or the smaller Eurazhdarcho. Our bird was the biggest theropod of the island, and since it's discovery has been interpreted as a case of island gigantism.