Some dinosaurs were ambush hunters

The researchers are constantly finding new fossil remains of different dinosaur species, some extremely large while other small like today's pigeons. The latest interesting discovery comes from the Canadian-Chinese team of scientists that have found remains of the smaller dinosaur that hunted its prey like the cat does.

What this means is that these relatively small dinosaurs called Sinocalliopteryx (at 2.5m in length) used ambush hunting techniques we see at today's cats. Their very well preserved fossil remains were found in the Yixian Formation in the Jehol Provence of north east China.

The researchers were also able to extract from the remains of single Sinornithosaurus a feathered flying dinosaur, measuring about 1m and remains of two primitive crow-sized birds, called Confuciusorni, which gave them clear clue that Sinocalliopteryx ate flying creatures together with lizards, smaller dinosaurs, and mammals.

When hunting flying creatures this dinosaur first observe them somewhere in the underbrush waiting for the right moment before leaping swiftly into the air and catching a surprised bird mid-flight.

These cunning prehistoric hunters were very equipped predators with „long muscular legs and sharp chompers“.

Some scientists such as Prof Zhonghe Zhou, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences aren't entirely convinced into the guile and cunning of Sinocalliopteryx suggesting that these dinosaurs weren’t necessarily adept stealthy hunters but could also be some sort of scavengers.

One thing is sure though, prehistoric Jurassic park certainly had more than fair share of different dinosaur species.