Fun Santanaraptor Facts For Kids

Dinosaurs are with no doubt fascinating but they have been a huge mystery for several years now. People have never been able to fully understand or place together the missing pieces of their anatomy, lifestyle, and so many other characteristics. Millions of questions raid the minds of paleontologists during every excavation. One such dinosaur that has sparked interest in the palaeontological community is the Santanaraptor.

The Santanaraptor was discovered in 1996 from the Romualdo Group (Santana Formation) in the Ceará State, northeastern Brazil (South America), where the presence of a tyrannosauroid was not even expected. Their range was restricted and not widespread. It is known from a partial skeleton that had only specific sections of the body, such as the fibula pes and soft tissue. It was possible to reconstruct the rest but this has not helped in our understanding of the dinosaur completely. It lived from the early Aptian to early Albian stage of the Cretaceous period. It is a member of the tyrannosauroids of the Animalia kingdom. Santanaraptor placidus is the type species, which was initially described by Kellner in 1999.

To know more about Santanaraptor's size, Santanaraptor's height, and Santanaraptor's skeleton keep reading. Are you in search of similar articles? Then do check out our Homalocephale and Chungkingosaurus articles.

How do you pronounce 'Santanaraptor'?

A group of dinosaurs is either named in Latin or Greek. This dinosaur was a primitive tyrannosauroid named in Latin by Kellner and is pronounced as 'san-tan-a-rap-tor'.

What type of dinosaur was a Santanaraptor?

Santanaraptor was a group of tyrannosauroids in the Early Cretaceous period. Research data states that the past few discoveries have questioned the idea that the tyrannosauroid group never reached southern continents despite finding most of their fossils in the Northern Hemisphere.

In which geological period did the Santanaraptor roam the earth?

The Santanaraptor dinosaur lived during the late Aptian to early Albian stage. This was a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous period. Aptian was named after Apt, a place famed for its crystallized fruits, while Albian was named after Alba, the Latin name for the River Aube in France.

When did the Santanaraptor become extinct?

This dinosaur existed 112 million years ago. It became extinct after the early Albian period. According to research, there was a sequence of natural disasters during this period including a huge asteroid effect that possibly linked several volcanic eruptions and numerous other occurrences. These events decreased sunlight and impeded photosynthesis causing a collapse of the ecosystem. This dinosaur and many other species were not able to survive this. 80% of life on earth including this group of dinosaurs were wiped. Research states that the Cretaceous period extinction is one of the top extinctions the earth has ever faced.

Where did Santanaraptor live?

The fossil suggests that this species did not have a wide range and as the name suggests, the Santanaraptor lived in South America. Their remains were found in the Santana Formation in northeastern Brazil's Araripe Basin. The Santana Formation is a fossil-rich site where scientists have come in contact with the most well-preserved fossils which include soft tissue and muscles.

What was the Santanaraptor's habitat?

Most of the Santana Formation, in which this dinosaur species existedm was flooded by embryonic parts of the Atlantic Ocean.  The deposit clearly demonstrates an environment of lagoons and coastal flats. Many more animal remains including insects, mammals, and plants were uncovered, showing that this must have been one of the lushest locations. The Santanaraptor is said to have inhabited this marine environment.

Who did Santanaraptor live with?

The Santanaraptor may have been a solitary species that was only sociable during hunting and breeding. Data suggests that this group of dinosaurs might have co-existed with other species from the Aptian era.

How long did a Santanaraptor live?

The exact lifespan of the Santanaraptor has not been discovered. It possibly lived up to 20 years.

How did they reproduce?

This dinosaur reproduced by laying eggs. The dinosaur eggs were hard, spherical, and long. Internally, these eggs possessed a moist membrane called the embryo which was similar to the ones found in reptiles, birds, and early mammals.

What did Santanaraptor look like?

The Santana Formation thief is a medium-sized theropod. It is claimed to be nearly identical to the Dilong and Guanlong as it had lengthy arms, slim hindlimbs, and hands with three fingers. This species is known from the partial skeleton of a juvenile.

How many bones did a Santanaraptor have?

From the fossil, an incomplete skeleton consisting of three caudal vertebrae and haemal arches, parts of leg bones, fibula, pes, and soft tissue were identified. Certain hip bones, and limbs were also present, however, this is said to be a coelurosaur. This does not give us enough information to estimate how many bones they had.

How did they communicate?

Raptors in films used their own language to communicate. This might be correct. They did make noises like hoots and growls that only their fellow mates could understand. They might not have sounded exactly as they did in the movies though. It's only a possibility. They had several tones to distinguish the nature of the call, just like other birds. They may have employed specific bodily motions to convey specific messages.

How big was the Santanaraptor?

The discovered fossil reached 7.5 ft (2.3 m) in length and 4.1 ft (1.25 m) tall. Santanaraptor size was three times bigger than saltopus and it was two times the length of a Microvenator.

How fast could a Santanaraptor move?

Theropod dinosaurs were quick on their feet. Their well-built legs could readily carry their tiny and medium-sized bodies. The advanced pulmonary ventilation made it possible for them to move swiftly without getting tired or needing rest stops for prolonged periods

How much did a Santanaraptor weigh?

The discovered fossil of the Santana Formation thief possibly weighed around 50 lb (22.6 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

Male and female dinosaurs did not have any specific names. They were collectively known as Santanaraptor.

What would you call a baby Santanaraptor?

A baby Santanaraptor did not have any special name and was called a nestling or a hatchling.

What did they eat?

These dinosaurs were medium-sized predators. They were meat-eaters that consumed a considerable amount of small dinosaurs. They mainly depended on reptiles if the search for small dinosaurs was not fruitful. The Santanaraptor was hunted by large dinosaurs like the Irritator challengeri , Sarcosuchus hartti, and Pterosaurs such as Tupuxuara longicristatus and Thalassodromeus sethi.

How aggressive were they?

Santanaraptors were terrifying dinosaurs with razor-sharp teeth and claws. They were extremely violent since they both consumed and were consumed by dinosaurs, which would have necessitated some remarkable hunting abilities as well as a great deal of violence. They are assumed to have coexisted peacefully with a few other species.

Did you know...

When the Santanaraptor was first found, it was considered to be a maniraptoran theropod. It is currently believed to be a primitive coelurosaur.

Data suggests that the Santanaraptor was most likely linked to a Late Jurrasic coelurosaur, Ornitholestes.

The type species, Santanaraptor placidus, was also named by Kellner in the same year,1999.

It is very rare to recover a fossil with soft tissue remains and muscles as they get fossilized very easily.

A short note on a new dinosaur, Santanaraptor placidus, was given by Kellner.

A collection of the data and remains of this dinosaur is found at Boletim do Museu Nacional.

Why are they called Santanaraptor?

The term raptor is linked to the names of the majority of Theropod dinosaurs. 'Raptor' is Latin for 'a thief'. The fact that most of their remains were discovered in a certain setting led experts to believe that they may have stolen these eggs. It was eventually revealed that they died in the process, trying to hatch the eggs. By then, it was too late to rename them.

Santanaraptor is an abbreviation for 'Santana formation thief'. The first half describes where they are supposed to have resided, while the second emphasizes that they were robbers. It was named and described by Kellner.

The species name of Santanaraptor placidus refers to Placido Cidade Nuvens, who founded the Museu de Paleontologia da Universidade Regional do Cariri.

How strong were Santanaraptor's teeth?

Again, the strength of their teeth is heavily influenced by their food and hunting habits. Dinosaurs, regardless of species, had chunky and scaly skin. Santanaraptors chased other dinosaurs and possibly dismembered them before consumption. Cutting through their victim's flesh and biting on them would have taken a significant deal of effort and strength. So they did have well sharpened and powerful teeth.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Juratyrant facts and Telmatosaurus facts for kids.

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

Main image by Kabacchi

Second image by IsabelleSousaGUS