Velociraptor ("speedy thief") was a dinosaur that lived in the Cretaceous Period of Mongolia and China, Asia. The dinosaur was made popular by the 1993 film Jurassic Park. They also appear as the minor antagonists of Disney's 2000 animated feature film Dinosaur, as well as antagonists in The Good Dinosaur and in an episode of the TV series The Legend of Tarzan.
Background
Real life
Velociraptor is a member of the Dromaeosauridae, often referred to as "raptors" and belongs in its own subfamily within the dromaeosaur family tree called Velociraptorinae. It was first discovered in expeditions led into the Gobi Desert by paleontologist and researcher Roy Chapman Andrews (said to be the real-life inspiration for Indiana Jones). It was first discovered by one of his teammates, Peter Kaisen, in 1923 at the Flaming Cliffs of the Djadochta Formation and named by Henry Fairfield Osborn. The Djadochta Formation dates 75 million years ago and would have largely been a desert back in the Cretaceous as it is today. As a result, Velociraptor was well adapted for life in such a harsh environment.
Velociraptor is known from many complete skeletons, allowing scientists to understand key aspects of its life and biology. Unlike in many depictions of public media, Velociraptor was fairly small, with most specimens reaching lengths of 2 meters (6.8 feet) long, and half a meter high (1.6 feet tall) at the hip...a far cry from the larger depictions shown in public media. In part, this confusion over its size is the result of it being confused with its larger cousin Deinonychus, which was once classified erroneously by paleontologist Gregory S. Paul as a species of Velociraptor in the 1980s.
This confusion would also be exacerbated by the publication of the novel Jurassic Park, in which author Michael Crichton used Greg Paul's work as the basis for the Velociraptors in the book, making them larger. The film franchise for Jurassic Park only added to this confusion. During the filming of the first Jurassic Park movie, Utahraptor was also discovered by paleontologist Jim Kirkland, adding to the hype and confusion over Velociraptor's size. Subsequent public media, such as films and documentaries, have since corrected this confusion, but many shows still increase the size of Velociraptor to make it more intimidating.
Because Velociraptor is so well-known and heavily studied, much can be said about its life and behavior. Two species of Velociraptor, V. mongoliensis and V. osmolskae, are known from good material recovered from the Gobi Desert. A third possible species is being studied and has yet to be fully described. Examinations of its scleral rings (the bones supporting its eyes) suggest Velociraptor was nocturnal like an owl. Quill knobs discovered in 2007 on some of the best-preserved specimens show it was fully feathered, as with all other dromaeosaurs, regardless of size. Though it could not fly, it is likewise believed Velociraptor may have had a flying ancestor, and it may have been able to use its feathers to slow its fall, steer when running, or keep its balance when jumping on prey. Baby Velociraptors may have also been able to escape danger by using their wings to flap as they ran up vertical cliffs or other obstacles, which might have allowed them to escape from predators. In spite of its small size, Velociraptor was also a fierce and powerful hunter; a famous fossil exists of a Velociraptor locked in combat with a Protoceratops (a smaller, distant cousin to Triceratops). Called the "Fighting Dinosaurs", the two were preserved by either a sandstorm or a collapsing sand dune, with the Velociraptor using its deadly foot claws to kill the Protoceratops and the Protoceratops biting the arm of Velociraptor. If this weren't enough, a fossil skull from an adolescent Velociraptor preserved with bite marks to its brain case show it had died in a fight with another, larger Velociraptor. A specimen with broken ribs also showed they could endure terrible injuries as well, though the broken ribs proved fatal in this one individual. Velociraptor was also not above scavenging, as fossil stomach contents containing pterosaur bones and chewed Protoceratops bones clearly show.
Velociraptor shared its arid habitat not only with Protoceratops, but other dinosaurs as well: two close relatives, Tsaagan and Linheraptor, lived in the same area at the same time as Velociraptor, and probably hunted different prey or at different times of the day to avoid competition. Ankylosaurs also dwelled in the Gobi Desert, including the massive Pinacosaurus, along with the bizarre Oviraptor and its cousin Citipati, and the much smaller Alverezsaurs Mononykus and Shuvuuia to name a few. Tyrannosaurs have also been found in the same formation as Velociraptor, as have hadrosaurs, but none of these are complete enough to determine their identities. As such, it is suggested that in spite of its arid climate, the Gobi Desert was still rich enough with plants to support large numbers of big and small herbivores and a wide array of carnivores. There may have also been prominent oases, based on the presence of the semi-aquatic dromaeosaur Halszkaraptor, a small and very duck-like dromaeosaur with short arms like penguin flippers and webbed feet for swimming.
Unlike what is shown in public media, it is not known as to whether or not Velociraptor hunted in packs. Due to the harsh environment, it may have been more solitary or lived in pairs, but this cannot yet be said for certain. Biomechanical studies on Velociraptor suggest it was relying more on its claws to kill prey than its jaws, as its bite force was relatively weak compared to other dromaeosaurids like Deinonychus. Additionally, its more slender snout suggests it preferred to hunt smaller animals. Likewise, the killing claws on its feet were probably used more for pinning prey down and piercing flesh like eagle talons rather than slashing, unlike the claws of some of its larger relatives, like Utahraptor.
Regardless, Velociraptor in cultural impact has been immense, and many films, TV series, and books have portrayed this animal as a deadly predator, much as it was in reality.
Personality
Although they serve as the film's antagonists in Disney's Dinosaur, these predators are driven only by their need to survive and have no truly malicious intent. Velociraptors are opportunistic pack hunters that survive by picking off stragglers or weaker prey. They will ambush solitary dinosaurs, but will retreat in the face of a strong herd. They will also flee if confronted by larger predators, such as the Carnotaurus.
Appearances
Dinosaur
As Aladar and his adoptive lemur family walk through the barren wasteland, they see a Velociraptor go by, prompting Aladar and the lemurs to investigate. When they find it, seven others appear and the largest of the group (presumably their leader) snarls at them. The predators begin chasing Aladar and the lemurs, some even managing to bite Aladar. The Velociraptors retreat when the herd, led by Kron, comes by. Aladar and the lemurs initially question whether joining the herd is a good idea. Yar is about to convince Aladar that they should move off on their own when Zini spots the Velociraptors again. Seeing the carnivores waiting to ambush them, Aladar and his family opt for the safety of the herd. Although very dangerous, the raptors are not seen as a major threat by the adult dinosaurs in the herd, as Eema tells Aladar to be grateful that these are the only predators following them.
Later, as the herd migrates to find some water, Aladar sees the Velociraptors gathering to feast on the body of a Struthiomimus that has died of exhaustion. When Eema collapsed shortly after, Aladar told her that she must get up to avoid being eaten, as the raptors were still close behind. However, the Velociraptors are shown to have already eaten their fill. Suddenly, two Carnotaurus come and scare the smaller theropods away. This is the raptors' last appearance in the film.
The Legend of Tarzan
- Main article: Velociraptors (Tarzan)
The Good Dinosaur
- Main article: Velociraptors (The Good Dinosaur)
Disney Parks
Velociraptor at Walt Disney World.
A Velociraptor appears on the ride DINOSAUR at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It is seen right after the riders see the Parasaurolophus. It is identified as "Raptor". After passing by the Raptor, Dr. Seeker then tells the computer, "Time to get serious," just as he locks onto the signal, causing the ride to be a little more bumpier.
Comics
In the 2022 Donald Duck comic Magisk legetøj, Donald is seen being hunted by a Velociraptor.
Gallery
Trivia
Utahraptor concept art by Ricardo Delgado.
- The Velociraptors in Dinosaur were originally supposed to have feathers. David Krentz said that the feathered were to be "like a little band of Indians with the alpha male having a feather crown that looked almost a headdress." Originally, when Aladar encounters them, he would not know what to make of the raptors appearance and their exotic appeal would have led Aladar into the raptors' trap.[1] Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette According to director Eric Leighton, the computer animators were not sure how they could create the feathers and the studio did not want to get married to a process that the animators were not sure they could deliver on a budget.[2] Dinosaur Interplanetary Gazette Krentz noted that there was a feather shader that could have been applied to the Velociraptors, but further stated, "It would have been a lot of extra work on an already difficult movie."
- Ironically, this initial design would have been more accurate to real life. In 2007, a Velociraptor forearm with bumps for feather attachment was discovered, confirming that Velociraptor did in fact have feathers. Prior to this discovery, fossils of Velociraptor's smaller relatives, Microraptor and Sinornithosaurus, are shown with impressions of feathers.
- At one point, when the Velociraptor was still feathered, the raptor pack was going to consist of only one Velociraptor, a Avimimus and Garudimimus.
- In the early stages of the production of Dinosaur, Utahraptor, Velociraptor's larger and lesser known cousin, was originally planned to co-star in the film with its smaller relative. But ultimately, only the more popular Velociraptor made it to the final cut.
- In reality, Velociraptor lacked crests unlike those seen in Dinosaur.
- The film uses vocals recorded from a crew member's pet Chihuahua.
- The blue-crested bigger Velociraptor is most likely the leader of the pack.
- It is very possible that the blue-crested Velociraptor was made bigger than the other members of the pack to symbolize its position of dominance.
References
External links
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