Velociraptor
vel-OSS-ih-RAP-tor
Velociraptor’s reputation as one of the most terrifying dinosaurs comes not from its size – at just 4m in length it is dwarfed by many less intimidating genera – but its ferocity and intelligence. With its large, sharp teeth and sickle-shaped claws, Velociraptor is a highly efficient predator, preying upon plant-eating dinosaurs such as Protoceratops - although its relative lack of power means it is unlikely to attack large or armoured dinosaurs.
Discovery
The first Velociraptor fossil was found in 1923 by Peter Kaisen, when he unearthed a complete skull and a toe claw while on an expedition to the Gobi Desert in Outer Mongolia with the American Museum of Natural History. The specimen was referred back to Henry Fairfield Osborne at the museum in New York and named Velociraptor – ‘swift plunderer’ – in reference to its speed and predatory behavior.
Palaeoecology
Velociraptor remains have only been found in the Djadochta Formation in Mongolia, suggesting that the genus lived in this area around 70-74m years ago during the Late Cretaceous period. The climate at this time was desert-like, with Velociraptor gravitating towards streams and river where prey would congregate in search of vegetation.
Information
- Era
- Late Cretaceous
- Family
- Dromaeosauridae
- Genus
- Velociraptor
- Height
- 1.7M
- Length
- 3.9M
- Weight
- 226Kg
- Diet
- Carnivore, Live Prey
- Egg batch size
- 2 - 5
