Pseudo-tyrannosaurid

One of the more successful dromaeosaur lineages, the pseudo-tyrannosaurids have given up the kicking claws and grasping arms for deep, powerful jaws and long, swift legs. The species show here is successful cursorial hunter, chasing prey at speeds of up to 45 mph. Ranging from central asia to north africa in the hot, dry lands above the equator, this fast-mover is a solitary hunter of medium-sized mammalian and dinosaurian prey. While the pseudo-tyrannosaurids had larger species during earlier eras, only the smaller, better-adapted species survived through the pleistocene.

For this one, I was thinking of the types of niches that the dinosaurs would hang on to, even while mammalian herbivores pushed out their troodontid relatives. While slower then a cheetah, this beast would fill a similar role, chasing down super-maras, swallowing small kills whole, and generally being unpleasant to be around. The deep jaws also give it an advantage as a scavenger over other dromaeosaurs, many of whose thin, gracile snouts are unable to crack open bones and otherwise fully take advantage of a carcass. During the ice ages, this would have proved critical, especially in the dry steppes and deserts of its habitat.