Dakotaraptor: Dinosaur with feathers, large claws and wings was 'utterly lethal'

They were among the largest raptors in the world at around 17ft long

An artist's rendering of the Dakotaraptor (Emily Willoughby/Wikimedia Commons)

Archaeologists have found one of the biggest raptors yet, with feathers, large claws and wings, according to a study published by the University of Kansas Paleontological Institute.

Dakotaraptors were carnivores with sickle-like claws of nearly 10 inches that walked the Earth about 66m years ago.

At around 17ft long, they were among the largest raptors in the world, with wings that stretched about 3ft. Despite having wings, the dinosaurs could not fly because of their size.

The only known raptor larger than the Dakotaraptor was the Utahraptor, which was 23ft long, but died about approximately 60m years before the Dakotaraptor.

They were discovered in 2005 in the Hell Creek Formation, known as the home of the Tyrannosaurus rex and the Triceratops.

“It really was the Ferrari of competitors,” Robert DePalma, head of the research team that discovered the fossils, told The Guardian.

“It could run very fast, it could jump incredibly well, it was agile and it had essentially grappling hooks on the front and rear limbs. These claws could grab on to anything and just slice them to bits. It was utterly lethal.”

Discussing the Dakotaraptors' claws, he added: “It’s very laterally compressed so that means it was probably made for piercing flesh.

“It’s not a big, fat claw like on a T rex or something. It’s not just going to stomp you to death or bone-crush you to death. No, these things would slice and dice.”