Dromaeosaurus

Dromaeosaurus is a genus of small to medium-sized dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaurs that lived in North America during the Late Cretaceous. The type species is Dromaeosaurus albertensis. The name means "swift lizard" or "runner lizard," reflecting its presumed agility. Dromaeosaurus is one of the earliest known members of the Dromaeosauridae family, closely related to Velociraptor and Deinonychus.

Fossils have been discovered in the Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada, with the genus described by Barnum Brown in 1914. The remains indicate a compact, agile animal with a relatively large skull, sharp serrated teeth, and a long tail. It was a bipedal predator with proportionally long arms bearing grasping hands. Like other dromaeosaurids, it likely bore feathers, a trait inferred from related species and the broader group.

In skeletal terms, Dromaeosaurus was about 1.5 to 2 meters in length and weighed roughly in the low tens of kilograms. It possessed the characteristic enlarged second toe claw used for grasping or slashing at prey.

As a basal member of Dromaeosauridae, Dromaeosaurus helps illuminate the early evolution of this group, including features such as a lightweight, agile build and potential feathering. Its fossils contribute to understanding the diversity of predatory dinosaurs in Late Cretaceous North America.