Fun Martharaptor Facts For Kids

The Martharaptor (species name Martharaptor greenriverensis) is a recently discovered species of therizinosauroid dinosaurs that were discovered in the Cedar Mountain Formation near Green River in Utah in August of 2012. This genus has been named after paleontology assistant Martha Hayden, who co-discovered the site where these dinosaur fossils were found. The discovered bones are currently preserved in the Museum of Natural History in Salt Lake City. Not much is known about this species of dinosaurs, however, we can piece together aspects of its length, diet, and personality by studying related species such as other therizinosauroid dinosaurs.

To learn more about this roar-some reptile, read on! For more relatable content, check out these Hippodraco facts and Dromiceiomimus facts for kids.

How do you pronounce 'Martharaptor'?

Martharaptor is pronounced as 'Mar-fah-rap-tor'.

What type of dinosaur was a Martharaptor?

The Martharaptor greenriverensis was a type of theropod dinosaur, a clade known for its hollow bones and three-toed feet.

In which geological period did the Martharaptor roam the Earth?

The Martharaptor dinosaur was present during the Lower Cretaceous period, which lasted between 145.5 and 65.5 million years ago.

When did the Martharaptor become extinct?

The Martharaptors likely all died out before the close of the Lower Cretaceous period, which occurred around 65.5 million years ago.

Where did a Martharaptor live?

The Martharaptor lived in what is now the state of Utah, around Green River.

What was a Martharaptor's habitat?

Utah is a dry, desert state, hence the Martharaptor preferred living in arid conditions.

Who did a Martharaptor live with?

Martharaptors, most likely lived in packs. There are high chances of herbivorous dinosaurs living and feeding together in groups, and this theory has been developed due to the discovery of a number of fossilized trackways containing a sequence of dinosaur footprints, all suggesting the presence of dinosaurs traveling in groups.

How long did a Martharaptor live?

Though the exact lifespan of this theropod dinosaur cannot be determined, it has been estimated that they lived quite long lives, akin to those of similar reptiles like crocodiles and turtles. Due to their slow metabolisms and herbivorous diets, these beasts have been estimated to live between 80-300 years.

How did they reproduce?

Martharaptors were oviparous and reproduced by laying eggs. Their mating process was mostly similar to that of modern-day reptiles, with internal fertilization taking place inside the female's body.

What did a Martharaptor look like?

The Martharaptor shared a number of common characteristics with other therizinosauroid dinosaurs, with the manual unguals (hand claws) being very distinctive, with the height being greater than the length. Their toe claws were very deep and curved. The scapula found is hatchet-like in shape, with the hip socket bones being quite flat. Like most other herbivores, this dinosaur was likely large and walked on two legs, with its front legs being shorter in length. Its neck would have been medium in length, not as long as that of a sauropod.

How many bones did a Martharaptor have?

Though the exact number of bones this dinosaur had has not been determined, the skull and cranial bones of this dinosaur have been unearthed. The number of bones possessed by the average dinosaur has been worked out to be around 200, hence the Martharaptor dinosaur most probably had around 200 bones. A complete Martharaptor skeleton could not be recovered, the bones found for this dinosaur were fragmented and consisted of forelimbs, pelvic bones, and a scapula.

How did they communicate?

Dinosaurs are known for their loud, earth-shaking roars which are mostly how this dinosaur communicated. They mostly used bellowing roars, grunts of low rumbling noises to communicate, in order to mate or chase away other dinosaurs from their territories. Visual displays were also probably used, with raising of the front legs, stomping, and tail whipping involved.

How big was a Martharaptor?

Unfortunately, there is no available information on how big this dinosaur was, or how much it measured in length.

How fast could a Martharaptor move?

Though the speed of the Martharaptor is unknown, the average speed of theropods has been estimated to be around about 27 mph (43.5 kph), which means that they are quite fast. Being mostly bipedal, their hind legs were likely quite strong and made for running long distances at high speeds.

How much did a Martharaptor weigh?

Currently, there is no available information on how much this dinosaur weighed.

What were the male and female names of the species?

A male dinosaur has been termed a saurus whereas the female dinosaur is known as saura. We do not make any distinction in sex while referring to dinosaurs though.

What would you call a baby Martharaptor?

Baby Martharaptors were known as hatchlings.

What did they eat?

Though the exact diet of this dinosaur is unknown, we can assume that it was herbivorous like most other therizinosauroids. It most likely sustained itself on a diet of leaves, twigs, roots, and rudimentary fruits, vegetables, and seeds.

How aggressive were they?

Most dinosaurs were quite aggressive, in order to protect themselves from the larger predatory dinosaurs such as various theropods and velociraptors. They had a number of defensive mechanisms such as tough, scaly armor, bludgeon, and mace-like tails and sharp horns and spikes on their body, in order to attack any incoming predators head-on.

Did you know...

This species is relatively new, being discovered only in August of 2012 by the Utah State paleontologists with the help of Martha Hayden.

The specimen bones found in Utah are now preserved at the Museum of Natural History in Salt Lake City, Utah State, North America.

Phylogenetic analysis of this dinosaur species weakly placed M. greenriverensis into the taxon Therizinosauroidea, the sister taxon of the Alxasaurus + Therizinosauridae group. Not much information is available on this dinosaur to provide concrete classification.

Who is the Martharaptor named after?

This theropod dinosaur is named after Martha Hayden, a paleontology assistant and one of the co-discoverers of the unearthing site. The species name Martharaptor greenriverensis is a nod to Green River in Utah, near where the Hayden-Corbett quarry was discovered.

What kind of Martharaptor bones has been discovered?

The bones discovered at the Hayden-Corbett site in Utah include fragments of vertebrae, scapula, hindlimb and forelimb bones, and an ischium (parts of the hip bone).

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other dinosaurs from our Paralititan fun facts and Claosaurus fun facts for kids pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Martharaptor coloring pages.

Main image by Hypnoflow.