About Fukuiraptor
| Scientific Name (Genus) | Fukuiraptor |
| Meaning of Name | Thief from Fukui Fukui [Place Name] - raptor (thief, plunderer) [Latin] |
| Classification | Saurischia, Theropoda (Allosauroidea, Megaraptora) |
| Total Length | Approx. 4m |
| Diet | Carnivorous |
| Period | Early Cretaceous |
| Species | Fukuiraptor kitadaniensis |
| Year of Paper Publication | 2000 |
| Genus Name Publication | Azuma, Y. and Currie, P. J. (2000). A new carnosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Japan. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 37. |
Characteristics: A Misunderstood "Raptor"
Fukuiraptor is the first carnivorous dinosaur from Japan for which a complete skeleton has been reconstructed. Its name combines "Fukui," the place of its discovery, and "raptor," meaning "thief."
When a very large claw was initially found, researchers thought it was a sickle claw from the "foot" of a dromaeosaurid dinosaur like Velociraptor. This is why it was named "raptor."
However, as research progressed and more fossils were found, it became clear that this giant claw was not from the foot, but was the thumb claw of the "hand." This was definitive evidence that Fukuiraptor belonged to a completely different group of carnivorous dinosaurs that had evolved independently from the Dromaeosauridae.
This group with giant hand claws is called "Megaraptora." Fukuiraptor was related to dinosaurs from the Southern Hemisphere, such as Megaraptor from Argentina and Australovenator from Australia. It is thought that they used their agile bodies and the fearsome weapon of their giant hand claws to capture prey.
The first individual discovered (the holotype specimen) was about 4.2m long, but it was a subadult that was still growing. An adult Fukuiraptor could have grown even larger.
The Home of Fukuiraptor: Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
In Katsuyama City, Fukui Prefecture, where the fossils of Fukuiraptor were excavated, there is the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, which is considered one of the three great dinosaur museums in the world.
Inside the museum, you can see not only the impressive complete skeleton of Fukuiraptor but also many other dinosaurs from the "Fukui Dinosaur Fleet," such as Fukuisaurus and Fukuititan, which were discovered alongside it. Why not visit to see the true form of Fukuiraptor?
Fukuiraptor Stamp & Fossil Gallery
