W B Dinosaurs didn’t only impose their great size and strength to survive, but there are also those who stood out for their great speed to hunt and not be hunted. Next, we invite you to discover the 10 fastest. Hurry up!
#10 VELOCIRAPTOR
It is considered the most intelligent predator, and not because of its philosophical image used for hilarious memes, but because of its size and use of its brain that allowed it to dominate its territories and an effective hunter. It belonged to the the theropod dromaeosaurs genus, that is, bipedal dinosaurs, carnivores and runners by nature. Its length was 6.5 feet, its height was 1.6 feet and its weight was around 33 pounds which made it very light. Its name means “fast thief” in Latin, and in the common imaginary, it is considered as the fastest dinosaur of all. But you see, it is not like that and because if that, it occupies the position 10 of this top. However, it is still a rapid bulwark of great power and danger that used to attack in groups. For sure, you are thinking of the Velociraptor for his role as “bad boy” in the movie Jurassic Park, remember? Well you should know that the raptors that appear on that film were designed representing their largest relative: the Deinonychus, which some scientists called Velociraptor antirrhopus. This dinosaur with fearsome teeth, sharp claws and extraordinary vision, reached a speed of between 23 and 25 miles per hour A real threat!
#9 DEINONYCHUS
It was characterized as one of the most agile and ferocious carnivores that inhabited the Cretaceous period, besides being one of the largest dromaeosaurids until the Utahraptor was discovered. Its name means “terrible claw” and refers precisely to the big, dark, sickle-shaped claw it had on each foot. It has been shown to have been a close relative to the Velociraptor, specifically to the specimen found in Mongolia. Although the difference is that the Deinonychus is heavier and a little larger. It could measure up to 13 feet long, 5.9 feet tall and weighed 154 pounds, although some believe it could have reached 220 pounds. The most fascinating thing about this predator was its speed, virtue favored by its long and rigid tail, always raised, which helped it maintain balance and rhythm during a race. Therefore, scientists have calculated its speed at 25 miles per hour, little more than the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt of 23.3 miles per hour.
#8 ALBERTOSAURUS
Also recognized as the “Alberta lizard”, it was a tyrannosaurid theropod that lived in the Cretaceous era in western North America about 65 million years ago. Within its family branch, it was considered as one of the smallest, but not least threatening. Its length was 32 feet, its 9.8 feet height and its weight between 2 and 2.5 tons. The Albertosaurus was a bipedal predator with a large head, dozens of large teeth and small two-fingered hands. Its long tail was used to maintain the balance of its body. On each foot, it had four fingers, one of them was small and was not of much use, while with the other three it leaned on the floor, curiously the middle one stood out from the others. According to studies, its speed was faster than that of its famous relative – the Tyrannosaurus Rex, reaching a minimum of 28 miles per hour up to 30 miles per hour at most. This ability, added to its powerful bite, estimates that it was one of the most dangerous predators of its habitat. Every man for himself!
#7 HYPSILOPHODON
It was a bipedal, agile, fast-moving dinosaur that lived at the end of the Lower Cretaceous period, approximately 124 million years ago in what is now Europe. It had many similarities with the modern antelopes for its long and thin hind limbs that allowed it to run between 28 and 31 miles per hour, so it could escape predators like the Altispinax (dunkeri). The Hypsilophodon was a small 8-feet long dinosaur and almost half of its anatomy consisted of its extensive tail. Its height did not exceed 4 feet and its weight was 154 pounds. The name of this herbivore means “chisel tooth”, who with the help of its pointy beak plucked ferns that it then crumbled with its 30 small and sharp triangular teeth. There are scientists who argue that it may have survived the great extinction millions of years ago, which with both fast and slower dinosaurs. Would that be possible?
#6 CARNOTAURUS
Its name comes from the Latin and means “carnivorous bull”, of which it could be said that in addition to its appearance, it also describes its survival form. Cataloged as Carnotaurus sastrei, it is the only known species of the extinct Carnotaurus genus, a theropod dinosaur that lived at the end of the Cretaceous period in what is today Argentina. One of the details that differs from the rest of the theropods is that they all had a large skull. Yet, it had a small one, measuring about 2 feet. Its weight was 1.5 tons, which is equivalent to 14 dolphins, of those that you surely love. It measured 29.5 feet long and 11.5 feet high. Its hind legs were considerably long and powerful, which allowed it to be very fast. A study showed that the caudofemoral muscle joined the thigh to the strong tail of the animal thanks to a tendon that clung to the femur, which gave it a great force of momentum when moving, at least in a straight line, since this structure would make it difficult to give sudden turns. Therefore, the Carnotaurus covered 46 feet per second and reached a speed of 31 miles per hour when running. ¡Olé, bull!
#5 STRUTHIOMIMUS
“Similar to an ostrich” is the connotation of its name. It was of the ornithomimid theropod dinosaur a genus, characterized by having no teeth, which lived in the late Cretaceous. Some authors maintain that their body could be covered with feathers, although no remains have been found that could confirm such theory. Struthiomimus had a length of more than 9.8 feet and 6.5 feet high. However, it did not weigh much because of its hollow bones and the general lightness of its skeleton. Its body mass was between 330 and 440 pounds. It did not have any armor or protective horns and depended largely on its speed to escape from the predators with whom it shared habitat. It was as fast as a racehorse and it is estimated that it reached, like the Carnotaurus, a regular speed of 31 miles per hour and could even exceed that. When it was not going so fast, the Struthiomimus, using its keratinous teethless beak, it could feed on plants, seeds and fruits. Also, it was an egg thief. Yes indeed!
#4 ORNITHOMIMUS
Its name means “bird impersonator”. It belongs to the group of ornithomimosaurs, often thought of as the group of ostrich dinosaurs. It lived at the end of the Cretaceous period, about 70 million years ago in what is now North America. It was just a dinosaur similar to the ostriches and emus of today. Its weight was approximately 440 pounds and its dimensions were 10.5 feet long and a little more than 5 feet high. The Ornithomimus was an omnivore that consumed a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as small reptiles and invertebrates. Its hind legs were long and strongly muscled, with claws for greater support and stability. Look at it, its body was designed to be a very fast animal that could a speed of 37.2 miles per hour. Some scientists even point out that it could exceed 43.5 miles per hour.
#3 GALLIMIMUS
Also known as “hen imitator”, a curious name for considerable size, lived in the Upper Cretaceous about 70 million years ago in what is now Asia. It had a length of 20 feet, a height of 10 feet and an approximate weight of 1000 pounds. The most distinctive feature of the Gallimimus was, without a doubt, the long swanlike neck it possessed. Another feature is its long tail that served as a counterweight and also as a stabilizer when running and turning quickly. The hind limbs were also prolonged, although somewhat heavier than those of other relatives. It reached a total speed of 37.2 miles per hour and even presumed could reach 45 miles per hour in a straight line. Part of his fame is due to its appearance in the sequel to “The Lost World” novels by Michael Crichton and the renowned film “Jurassic Park” by Steven Spielberg. A true celebrity!
#2 DELTADROMEUS
Its name means “delta runner” and it was a genus represented by a single species of theropod noasauridus dinosaur. It lived in the middle of the Cretaceous era about 95 million years ago in what is now Africa. The most complete specimen is the holotype that measured an estimated 26.5 feet in length and 9.2 feet in height. Its weight is calculated between 2 and 3.5 tons, being slimmer than the giant carnosaur. If it were alive today, it might have exhausted animals like the cheetah or the lion, since it had two long legs that were actually very thin for its size, which allowed it to be very fast. According to analysis of its hind limbs with respect to its body mass, its speed was established at 38.5 and 40 miles per hour. The Deltadromeus was the fastest dinosaur in its ecosystem and it probably had to be because it shared its environment with much larger but slower carnivores, such as the huge Spinosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus.
#1 COMPSOGNATHUS
Considered the fastest bipedal animal in history, it was a theropod that lived in the Upper Jurassic period, about 150 million years ago on European soil. Its name comes from the Greek and means “refined jaw”. It was a short carnivore, comparable to an elementary school child. However, it was discovered that it could have been much smaller. For a long time, it was cataloged as the smallest dinosaur until they found others like the Microraptor. Its weight was 6.6 pounds and it was 1.3 feet tall and 3.2 feet long. The Compsognathus had an extensive tail, which he used to maintain balance. Its hind legs were also quite long, which allowed it to be a great sprinter with an impressive acceleration power. According to studies, the speed of this mini-dinosaur was 40 miles per hour and could possibly reach up to 50 miles per hour. Awesome!
Its diet was based on lizards, since in the first fossil found in Germany in 1850, remains of a Bavarisaurus lizard, which was also characterized by its great agility, were found in its thoracic cavity. This allowed us to conclude that the Compsognathus had to have a sharp vision and the great ability to accelerate in a matter of seconds in order to chase out its victim. Fast and Furious!
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