Velociraptors lived about 75 to 71 million years ago. There are 2 known species, both from Mongolia. The second species was only discovered in 2008.
They were depicted in the Jurassic
Park movie as swift bipedal reptiles with a long tail and an enlarged
sickle-shaped claw on each hindfoot, 6 1/2 feet tall and weighing about 180
pounds. Not so, say the scientists. They were bipedal reptiles, they were fast,
and they had the fearsome claw. But they also had feathers, and were actually
the size of a turkey. The raptors depicted in the movie series were based on a
related genus, because the script said they had to look suitably fierce.
Instead of being 6.5 feet tall,
velociraptors were as much as 6.75 feet long, snout to tail tip. Scientific
artistic renditions show a very long, feathered tail. They were about 1 ft 7
inches high at the hip and weighs about 33 lbs. Although bipedal, their body
and tail were roughly parallel to the ground. Their forefeet were also
feathered, but were too short to serve as wings.
Their skulls grew up to 10 in long.
The jaws were lined with 26-28 widely-spaced, serrated teeth on each side, more
strongly serrated on the back edge than the front.
Their hands were large, with 3 curved
claws. However, the structure of the wrist bones forced the hands to be held
with palms facing inwards and not downwards.
On their feet, the first toe was a
small dewclaw, and the 2nd held the ferocious claw spoken about earlier, which
could get 2.5 inches long along its outer edge. Only their 3rd and 4th toes
were used in walking or running. Although some beliere their 2nd toe claw was
used for disemboweling prey, tests have proven it was most likely used for stabbing
and holding, to keep their prey from escaping.
If we’re going to compare fiction to
fact, then we must consider the depiction in the Jurassic Park movies of
velociraptors hunting in packs. Although there are some indications of other
species in the family hunting in packs, there is little to no indication in the
fossils of velociraptors doing it.
Most of the known velociraptor fossils
have been found in current desserts, under conditions that indicate the locale
at the time of their death was also arid and covered in sand dunes, or possibly
a little less arid.
Now, my first thought about
incorporating velociraptors in a story involves a comedy-ish story where a town
in the desert is suddenly overrun by predatory turkeys, which turn out to
be—according to the local Wise Guy—descendants from velociraptors, long thought
extinct these millions of years. Of course, once the raptors ate up all the
local cats, dogs, and chickens, they would necessarily start picking on larger
prey... large dogs, wolves, goats... children? Alas, I don’t do horror, which
is where this thought is quickly leading me. Anybody out there have any other
ideas?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velociraptor
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