Velociraptor

Velociraptor mongoliensis ("fast thief"), was a coyote-sized, agile and slender theropod dinosaur species from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) with an up-curved skull and large sickle-shaped claws. They are commonly known as raptors, a name which can also refer to other dromaeosauridss.

Claws and teeth

Velociraptors had strong jaws with rows of bladed teeth. These, in combination with large claws on their forelimbs and sickle-shaped talons on the second toe (the size of these claws could reach up to the length of the teeth on extinct sabertooth cats) gave the animals some impressive weaponry.

There is some evidence of how these weapons were used: one of the more spectacular specimens of Velociraptor, found in the Gobi desert, is a complete, articulated skeleton clutching the skeleton of Protoceratops. The slashing toe claw is where the Protoceratops throat would have been, and the Velociraptor arm is clutched in the herbivore's jaws. The dinosaurs may have been caught in a sandstorm or buried as a sand dune fell on top of them.

Other characteristics

Velociraptor is among the most birdlike dinosaurs known. Recently, fossils of dinosaurs related to Velociraptor (coelurosaurs) have been found in China with downy feathers on their bodies, and some even have flight feathers on their arms. It is therefore likely that Velociraptor bore feathers too, although no fossil evidence has yet confirmed this. Some of them have also been found in Plaza Huincul, Neuquen in Argentina.

One of the more unusual features of dromaeosauridss is that the tail is stiffened by elongated bones. Though sometimes referred to as ossified tendons, they are actually incredibly lengthened versions of bones most amniotes use to articulate vertebrae together, termed prezygopophyses. The chevrons or hemal arches (bones that attach to the bottom of the tail vertebrae) were also highly elongated. This resulted in a stiff, but not rigid tail, perhaps used to steer the animal when in hot pursuit of prey.

The Velociraptor has a skull length of 249 mm (9.80 in), a total length of 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in), a hip height of 0.5 m (1 ft 8 in), and weighs 15 kg (35 lb).

Jurassic Park film

Velociraptor is well-known in its role as a vicious killer from the novel and movie Jurassic Park. The dinosaurs portrayed there were modelled after a larger relative, Deinonychus. While the movie was in production, the discovery of Utahraptor confirmed that even larger dromaeosaurids did in fact exist.
It is from this movie that Velociraptor and other dromaeosaurids became popularly known as raptors and its reputation of being an extremely dangerous predator owing to its intelligence and aggressiveness. Although it is possible that the animals hunted in packs (as in the movie) there is no strong fossil evidence to support this idea.