VELOCIRAPTOR “swift robber” Giusi Diab Geology

What is it? It is a dromaeosaurid theropod that was alive around Million years ago (late Cretaceous Period). It was a carnivorous, Feathered, warm-blooded dinosaur that was about the size of a turkey. It is among the smartest and fastest dinosaurs to ever live.

What did it look like? The Velociraptor had a long tail that counterbalanced it’s body which made it able move quicker. It used it’s hind legs to walk. It had a low skull with an upturned snout and a large claw on each hind foot used to kill it’s prey. They were smaller than most other dromaeosaurids and also faster. They were 5-6 feet long and up to 3 feet tall. They weighed about 15 to 30 pounds.

Lifestyle and Diet. The Velociraptor liked to live in a hot, dry environment. They were deadly predators and hunted in packs. The Velociraptors pretty much ate anything they could kill, keeping in mind they only ate meat. They went for the carnivores, big or small, and herbivores.

Movement. It’s light weight allowed it to travel up to 40 mph. It could sprint and even jump. It’s slender hind legs allowed for strong, quick bursts. The Velociraptors only used their second and third digits to walk (unlike most other theropods). It’s first digit was held retracted off the ground and was the one to have the long thick claw that the Velociraptors are well known to have (up to 2.5 inches long).

Discovery. The first Velociraptor ever to be found was uncovered by a man named Henry Fairfield Osborn in The specimen consisted of a fractured skull and one hind claw. He later named it The Velociraptor after the Latin words Velox and Raptor (“swift robber”). The most famous discovery of the Velociraptor was the discovery in 1971 where a Velociraptor was found Buried with a Protoceratops. They were believed to be fighting each other (the Velociraptor attacking the Protoceratops) and died in the battle.

Feathers. Some paleontologists argue that the Velociraptor could’ve been capable of flying while others oppose that suggestion saying that the Velociraptor was a flightless bird. Just recently, in September 2007, quill knobs were found on a specimen in Mongolia. This proves where the Velociraptor had feathers and where they were anchored on it’s arms.

JURASSIC PARK Jurassic Park demonstrates the intelligence of the Velociraptor. There is a scene where one Velociraptor is smart enough to open the door. It is also demonstrated how they hunt in packs.

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