Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What predatory dinosaurs would be deadliest to humans? Megatheropods like Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus may be equipped to take on big game, but if you were transported to the Mesozoic, you’d have more immediate threats to worry about. Small to medium theropods like dromaeosaurs, abelisaurs, and small tyrannosaurs would be the deadliest to humans, given their intermediate body size, high speed, and preference for smaller prey. Terror birds (phorusrhacids) were also apex predators in Cenozoic South America, and their speed combined with powerful beaks terrorized the large mammalian fauna in their environment. Megaraptorans were sleek, strong predators with claws that could disembowel a human in a single effortless strike.
00:00: Nature's Most Terrifying Predator
00:47: Dromaeosaurs
02:03: Dinosaur Intelligence Explained
06:35: Theropod Behaviors
08:15: Abelisaurs
09:31: Alioramins
11:24: Terror birds
12:01: Megaraptorans
Thumbnail art by Mark Witton, Joschua Knuppe, Rudolf Hima, Somniosus Insomnus, and Heitoresco
Check out Mark Witton’s Patreon here: patreon.com/markwitton. Soundtrack in part courtesy of Paleowolf.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCmkkmzfWWf4HzrO8SGO3gjw/join
What predatory dinosaurs would be deadliest to humans? Megatheropods like Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus may be equipped to take on big game, but if you were transported to the Mesozoic, you’d have more immediate threats to worry about. Small to medium theropods like dromaeosaurs, abelisaurs, and small tyrannosaurs would be the deadliest to humans, given their intermediate body size, high speed, and preference for smaller prey. Terror birds (phorusrhacids) were also apex predators in Cenozoic South America, and their speed combined with powerful beaks terrorized the large mammalian fauna in their environment. Megaraptorans were sleek, strong predators with claws that could disembowel a human in a single effortless strike.
00:00: Nature's Most Terrifying Predator
00:47: Dromaeosaurs
02:03: Dinosaur Intelligence Explained
06:35: Theropod Behaviors
08:15: Abelisaurs
09:31: Alioramins
11:24: Terror birds
12:01: Megaraptorans
Thumbnail art by Mark Witton, Joschua Knuppe, Rudolf Hima, Somniosus Insomnus, and Heitoresco
Check out Mark Witton’s Patreon here: patreon.com/markwitton. Soundtrack in part courtesy of Paleowolf.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCmkkmzfWWf4HzrO8SGO3gjw/join
