Velociraptor
Velociraptor
- Pronunciation:
- vel-OSS-ee-rap-tor
- Name meaning:
- 'quick plunderer'
- Type of dinosaur:
- small theropod
- Length:
- 1.8m
- Weight:
- 7kg
- Diet:
- carnivorous
- Teeth:
- lots of sharp, pointed teeth
- Food:
- other animals
- How it moved:
- on 2 legs
- When it lived:
- Late Cretaceous, 74-70 million years ago
- Found in:
- Mongolia
As portrayed in the Jurassic Park movies, Velociraptor was recreated at twice its actual size and closely modelled on Deinonychus. Though this was seen as unscientific at the time, soon after the first film was released, a dinosaur of the same type, Utahraptor, was discovered, even larger than the virtual Velociraptors.
Velociraptor is now thought to have had a fine feather-like covering.
Taxonomic details
- Taxonomy:
- Dinosauria, Saurischia, Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae
- Named by:
- Osborn (1924)
- Type species:
- mongoliensis
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