Meet a new, lanky dinosaur that roamed South America in search of prey as the age of dinosaurs began, approximately 230 million years ago. Sporting a long neck and tail, growing to roughly 4-feet long and weighing only 10-to-15-pounds, the new predator has been named Eodromaeus, the “dawn runner.” With saber-shaped teeth and clawed grasping hands, Eodromaeus (“dawn runner”) was a ferocious predator of small animals and the young of larger animals. According to University of Chicago paleontologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Dr. Paul Sereno, “It really is the earliest look we have at the long line of meat eaters that would ultimately culminate in Tyrannosaurus rex near the end of the dinosaur era. Continue reading →