Dromaeosauriformipes: No measured body size data available to draw at scale.
- · Grid units represent actual meters (m); human and animals are drawn to the exact same scale with original silhouette aspect ratios preserved.
- · When a size range is recorded (e.g. 1–1.6m), the lower bound is used for scale comparison.
- · Human silhouette: PhyloPic — NASA · Public Domain Mark 1.0
Dromaeosauriformipes
Dromaeosauriformipes rarus (Dromaeosauriformipes · Dromaeosauriformipes)
Known only from fossils. The IUCN Red List assesses only species extant since 1500 CE, so fossil taxa are not assigned a category.
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 A footprint length of about 1.0 cm is similar to the width of a pinky fingernail (Comparison).
- 💡 A footprint length of about 1.0 cm is slightly longer than a single grain of rice (about 0.5–0.7 cm long) (Comparison).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
Dromaeosauriformipes rarus (ichnogenus Dromaeosauriformipes) is an ichnotaxon known only from footprints rather than body fossils, and at only about 1 cm in length, it is the smallest raptor footprint known.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
The footprint is a two-toed impression measuring about 1.0 cm in length, matching the foot size of a small winged dinosaur from China such as Microraptor.
🔍 3. Fossil Record & Paleoecology
Two trackways and isolated prints were found in lakeside deposits, differing in gait and speed. The paper notes that they could belong to a small species or juveniles of a larger species, and that the lakeside setting fits evidence that Microraptor ate fish.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
Found in the Jinju Formation around Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, the footprints were published as a new ichnogenus in "Scientific Reports" in 2018 by Professor Kim Kyung-soo of Chinju National University of Education and colleagues.
📚 Sources & References
- • Fossil taxon — the IUCN Red List assesses only species living or extinct since 1500
- • paleobiodb.org — basicTaxonInfo
- • doi.org — s41598-018-35289-4
- • europepmc.org — 30442900
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Becky Barnes · CC0 1.0 (Related taxon silhouette — Dromaeosaurus albertensis)
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.