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ARCHAEOLOGY

Raptor dinosaur tracks found near Bückeburg

Scientists from Lower Saxony’s State Museum in Hannover have found extremely well preserved tracks of raptor dinosaurs made famous by the movie “Jurassic Park.”

The museum called the find in a sandstone quarry a “world sensation” because it is the first time that the fossilized footprints of the type of dromaeosaurid have been discovered in Europe.

“What’s so spectacular is that eight separate sets of tracks top previously known finds in China, Korea, Niger and Utah,” said museum spokeswoman Judith Hartstang.

The raptors were carnivorous dinosaurs with long curved heel claws that flipped up while walking. That anatomical peculiarity creates unique two-toed tracks that allow archaeologists to recognize the little beasties. Despite what Steven Spielberg would have movie-goers believe, velociraptors where not at all like how they were depicted in the flim. The dinos were fairly small and had feathers.