ZoomDinosaurs.com Dinosaur and Paleontology Dictionary

DRACONYX (pronounced drack-ON-iks) Draconyx (meaning "dragon claw") was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived during the late Jurassic period, about 155 million years ago. Draconyx was an iguanodontid dinosaur (ornithopods with spiked thumbs) whose fragmentary fossil was found in Portugal. Draconyx was named by paleontologist Mateus and Antunes in 2001. The type species is D. loureiroi.

DRACOPELTA (pronounced drack-oh-PELL-ta) Dracopelta (meaning "shield bearer") was a squat, armored, plant-eating dinosaur from the late Jurassic period, about 156 to 150 million years ago. Dracopelta was a nodosaurid ankylosaur whose partial rib cage and some armor were found in Portugal. It was named by paleontologist Galton in 1980.

DRAGONFLY Dragonflies are primitive, flying insects that can hover in the air. They evolved during the Mississippian Period, about 360-325 mya. Huge dragonflies with wingspans up to 27.5 inches (70 cm) existed during the Mesozoic Era (when the dinosaurs lived).

DRAVIDOSAURUS (pronounced druh-VID-oh-SAWR-us) Dravidosaurus (meaning "Dravidanadu [the name of the southern part of India] lizard") was a reptile from the late Cretaceous period, about 88.5-875 million years ago. It was 10 ft (3 m) long, had a small, narrow head with a pointed beak, and perhaps some armored plates. It was originally thought that Dravidosaurus was a Stegosaurid dinosaur, but it is now thought to be a Plesiosaur (a swimming reptile). Fossils were found in southern India. It was named by Yadagiri & Ayyasami in 1979. The type species is D. blandfordi.

DRINKER (pronounced DRINK-er) Drinker was a small, plant-eating dinosaur from the late Jurassic period, about 156 to 145 million years ago. Drinker was a 6.5 feet (2 m) long Ornithopod with a flexible tail. Both an adult and a juvenile were found in Wyoming, USA. It was named by paleontologists Bakker, Galton, Siegwarth, and Filla in 1990 to honor the late nineteenth century paleontologist Edward Drinker Cope.

DROMAEOSAURID (pronounced DROH-mee-oh-SAWR-id) Dromaeosaurids belonged to a group (family Dromaeosauridae) of small, fast, meat-eating, theropod dinosaurs with large, retractible, sickle-like toe claws and big eyes. They were among the smartest and most deadly dinosaurs. Velociraptor, Deinonychus, and Dromaeosaurus were Dromaeosaurids.

DROMAEOSAURUS (pronounced DROH-mee-oh-SAWR-us) Dromaeosaurus (meaning "fast-running lizard") was a small, fast, meat-eating, theropod dinosaur about 6 feet (1.8 m) long, weighing roughly 15 kg. It had sickle-like toe claws, sharp teeth, big eyes and lived during the late Cretaceous period, about 76-72 million years ago. Fossils have been found in Alberta (Canada) and Montana (USA). They were very smart, deadly dinosaurs and may have hunted in packs. Dromaeosaurus was named by Matthew and Brown in 1922. The type species is D. albertensis.

DROMICEIOMIMUS (pronounced droh-MEE-see-oh-MY-us) Dromiceiomimus (meaning "emu mimic") was an extremely fast-moving (perhaps over 40 mph = 64 kph) bipedal dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period, about 75 to 70 million years ago. It was about 12 feet (3.6 m) long and weighed about 220 to 330 pounds (100 to 150 kg). Its femur (thigh bone) was 46.8 cm long. This ornithmimid (a bird-like theropod) had very long limbs and large eyes. It had a toothless, beaked mouth, and weak jaws; it may have eaten insects, eggs and some meat. It was named by D. A. Russell in 1972. The type species is D. brevitertius. Fossils of adults and juveniles have been found in Alberta, Canada.

DRYOSAURUS (pronounced DRY-oh-SAWR-us) Dryosaurus (meaning "tree lizard") was a speedy, leaf-eating, bipedal dinosaur (a hypsilophodontid). It lived in forests during the late Jurassic period, about 156 to 145 million years ago. It was about 10 - 12 feet (3 - 3.5 m) long. The type species is D. altus. Fossils have been found in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah (USA), and East Africa. Dryosaurus was named by Marsh in 1894. The type species is D. altus.

DRYPTOSAUROIDES (pronounced DRIP-toh-sawr-ROI-deez) Dryptosauroides (meaning "similar to Dryptosaurus") was a large theropod dinosaur that is known from only a few vertebrae found in India. This bipedal meat-eater lived during the late Cretaceous period, about 97.5-65 million years ago. The type species is D. grandis. Dryptosauroides was named by paleontologist von Heune in 1932. This is a doubtful genus due to the sparsity of fossils.

DRYPTOSAURUS (pronounced DRIP-toh-SAWR-us) Dryptosaurus (meaning "wounding lizard" ) was a speedy, bipedal, meat-eating dinosaur (a late coelurosaur) with serrated teeth and a large claw (8 inches = 21 cm long) on the first finger of each hand. It was about 20 feet (6 m) long. Late in his life, paleontologist E. Cope envisioned Dryptosaurus as a leaping dinosaur and commissioned Charles Knight to construct a model of Dryptosaurus leaping on another dinosaur. Dryptosaurus probably ate duck-bills and other dinosaurs. Dryptosaurus dates from the late Cretaceous period, about 70 to 65 million years ago. Dryptosaurus was the first theropod discovered in North America (in New Jersey) and was named by paleontologist O. Marsh in 1877. The type species is D. aquilunguis. Dryptosaurus replaced Cope's Laelaps.

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