DINOSAUR STATUES: VELOCIRAPTOR, from the Summit Collection

VELOCIRAPTOR Meaning "Speedy Thief" ANATOMY Velociraptor was a fast-running, two-legged (bipedal) dinosaur. This meat-eater had about 80 very sharp, curved teeth in a long, flat snout; some of the teeth were over an inch (2.5 cm) long. This predator had an s-shaped neck, arms with three-fingered clawed hands, long thin legs, and four-toed clawed feet. Velociraptor's head was about 7 inches (18 cm) long. Velociraptor may have been able to run up to roughly 40 mph (60 km/hr) for short bursts. Velociraptor was about 5 to 6 feet long (1.5-2 m), and 3 feet tall (1 m). It may have weighed about 15 to 33 pounds (7 to 15 kg). It had a stiff tail that worked as a counterbalance and let it make very quick turns. A 3.5 inch (9 cm) long, sickle-like, retractible claw was on the middle toe of each foot. This claw was its main weapon, and could probably kill most of its prey (defenseless plant-eaters like hadrosaurs) easily. Velociraptor's brain was relatively large in comparison to its body size (this is true for all the Dromaeosaurid dinosaurs, who were the most intelligent dinosaurs). WHEN VELOCIRAPTOR LIVED Velociraptor lived during the late Cretaceous period, about 85 - 80 million years ago. Among the contemporaries of Velociraptor were Protoceratops, Gallimimus, Oviraptor, Edmontosaurus, Maiasaura, and Saurolophus. ENVIRONMENT Velociraptor lived in a hot, dry environment - a desert-like environment that had some streams. BEHAVIOR In 1971, fossils of a Velociraptor and a Protoceratops were found together. They died together; the Velociraptor was attacking the Protoceratops with its claws and the armored head of the Protoceratops had apparently pierced the chest of the Velociraptor. Velociraptor, along with the other Dromaeosaurids, were the smartest dinosaurs, as calculated from their brain:body weight ratio. This made them very deadly predators. Velociraptor may have hunted in packs, perhaps attacking even very large animals. INTELLIGENCE Velociraptor was a dromaeosaurid, whose intelligence (as measured by its relative brain to body weight, or EQ) was the highest among the dinosaurs.

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