Kingdom- Animalia
Phylum- Chordata
Class- Sauropsida
Super Order- Dinosauria
Order- Saurischia
Suborder- Theropoda
Family- Dromaeosauridae
Genus- Velociraptor
Diet: Carinivore
Height: 2.5 feet
Length: 5.9 feet
Weight: 40 pounds
Time of habitation: Late Cretaceous period- 83 to 70 million years ago
Place of habitation: Mongolia
The first Velociraptor fossil was a crushed but complete skull found in the Mongolia Gobi Dessert during 1922. The tail was stiff due to long bony projections (prezygapophyses) as well as ossified tendons on the underside of the tail. The stiff tail allowed the Velociraptor to balance very well enabling it to turn sharply at great speeds and twist in the air to slash out at prey.
The second claws on the back feet were long and sickle shaped claws measuring about 2.6 inches and was possibly used for slashing out and disemboweling prey. The "Fighting Dinosaur" specimen which was found in Mongolia shows a Protoceratops and a Velociraptor locked in combat. It shows the Velociraptor's claw embedded in the Protoceratops neck which hints at the claw being used to pierce vital organs. New evidence suggest that the Velociraptor's claw was used to climb the sides of it's prey.
It is unclear whether or not Velociraptors were pack hunters. The only solid evidence is a Chinese track way showing six individuals of the same species of dromaeosaurs traveling together with no evidence of collectively hunting together.
In September 2007 a Velociraptor forearm was found in Mongolia that had quill knobs on it! This is conclusive evidence that Velociraptor did indeed have feathers. Due to small arms though, the feathers did not allow the Velociraptor to fly.
A similarity between Volociraptors and modern day birds is that the Volociraptor folded it's wrist in like a bird folds in it's wings. When Velociraptor used it's claws it would twist them around like a bird does it's wings to fly. Some paleontologist believe that the Velociraptor would then use it's unfolded hands in a scissor like slashing motion to shred the prey's flesh.
Sources:
Wikipideia
DK Guide to Dinosaurs
No comments:
Post a Comment