Raptors ‘used toe talon as weapon’

Velociraptor and its dinosaur relatives did not sport their scythe-like toe claws just for show or as a walking aid, a new fossil discovery has confirmed.

Scientists have unearthed evidence that a small but apparently feisty raptor dinosaur used its enlarged talon as a weapon.

The newly discovered feathered dinosaur, named Talos sampsoni, is related to the famous Velociraptor, star of the Jurassic Park movies.

Despite only weighing 38 kilograms, Talos bears the hallmarks of a predator and fighter – including the distinctive overgrown toe claw possessed by all raptor dinosaurs.

Scientists noticed that the toe bearing the claw on the animal’s left foot appeared deformed, as if it had suffered damage.

Analysis with a high-resolution computed tomography X-ray scanner – similar to those used in hospitals –showed the injury was confined to the large claw toe. The findings suggested the toe was either bitten or fractured and then suffered an infection.

“When we realised we had evidence of an injury, the excitement was palpable,” said lead researcher Lindsay Zanno, from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in the US. “An injured specimen has a story to tell.

“People have speculated that the talon on the foot of raptor dinosaurs was used to capture prey, fight with other members of the same species, or defend the animal against attack. Our interpretation supports the idea that these animals regularly put this toe in harm’s way.”

Previous studies of trackways made by raptor dinosaurs suggest they held the enlarged talon off the ground when walking.

“Our data support the idea that the talon of raptor dinosaurs was not used for purposes as mundane as walking.

“It was an instrument meant for inflicting damage,” Dr Zanno said.

Talos sampsoni lived during the late Cretaceous Period, about 65 million years ago.

Its fossilised bones were found in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in southern Utah, US.

The remote region has yielded a treasure trove of dinosaur-age specimens, with at least 15 collected in the past 10 years.

They have included horned dinosaurs, tyrannosaurs, duck-billed dinosaurs and armoured dinosaurs, as well as giant crocodiles and marine reptiles.