Fossil of 67m-year-old raptor dinosaur found in New Mexico

Remains of agile meat-eater show raptors were thriving right up to point asteroid struck 66m years ago

A meat-eating dinosaur with a feathered body, iron grip and a tail for agile pursuit of prey, has been discovered by fossil hunters, revealing that raptor dinosaurs were thriving right up to the point the asteroid struck, 66m years ago.

The remains, comprising about 20 bones, were found in the San Juan Basin in New Mexico, in rocks dating to about 67m years ago. They are believed to be from a type of dromaeosaurid - a family of theropod dinosaurs that includes raptors - which appears to have been a close cousin of the velociraptor.