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Troodon
American Troodon
Creature information
FamilyTroodontidae
SpeciesT. formosus
Time period75 to 65 million years ago
Located inHighlands of Montana
DietMeat
Serial information
Appears in"Little Das' Hunt"
Deaths causedNone

Troodon (/ˈtroʊ.ədɒn/ TROH-ə-don; Troödon in older sources) is a dubious genus of relatively small, bird-like dinosaurs known definitively from the Campanian age of the Cretaceous period (about 77 mya). It includes at least one species, Troodon formosus, known from Montana. Discovered in October 1855, T. formosus was among the first dinosaurs found in North America, although it was thought to be a lizard until 1877. Several well-known troodontid specimens from the Dinosaur Park Formation in Alberta were once believed to be members of this genus.

Though it has made many appearances in popular culture in the late 20th and early 21st century, analyses in 2017 have found the genus to be undiagnostic and referred some of these specimens to the genus Stenonychosaurus (long believed to be synonymous with Troodon) and others to the newly created genus Latenivenatrix.

Description[]

Troodon are small feathered theropods. They have large orange eyes on narrow skulls with exposed upper teeth. They are mostly brown, although individuals may vary in shade. A lighter shade of brown exists on the snout, underbelly, and scales.

In Dinosaur Planet[]

"Little Das' Hunt"[]

Three Troodon are first seen unsuccessfully hunting a herd of Orodromeus. The scout spots them and they chase after them. They are slowed down by a small hill, so they don't injure themselves. The hunt ends early when a geyser shoots from the ground underneath one of the Troodon, killing it and the other Troodon retreat. Another pack is later seen drinking from a lake and they catch the scent of Orodromeus. But they go the wrong way, missing the herd of Orodromeus hiding nearby (this scene was cut out on the Essential Dinosaur Pack version of the episode). They then watch the Quetzalcoatlus return to their nesting grounds. The pack from the beginning appears again during the volcanic eruption, with one being killed by a falling lava bomb and the last one killed in a pyroclastic flow.

Errors[]

  • The Troodon's hands are occasionally shown facing downward, which no theropod was capable of doing in reality.
  • The Troodon's heads are actually triangle-shaped rather than rectangle-shaped.
  • Troodon is no longer considered a valid genus, being separated into stenonychosaurus and possibly Latenivenatrix an penictodon

Trivia[]

  • Some believe Troodon to be omnivorous and nocturnal.
  • The Troodon share the same model as the Dwarf Troodonts from Pod's Travels but with a different color scheme.
  • The Troodon's sound effects are re-used Coelophysis sound effects from When Dinosaurs Roamed America.

Gallery[]

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