Velociraptor

Velociraptor (vəlŏs`ĭrăp'tər) [Gr.,=swift robber], swift bipedal carnivorous dinosaur of the late Cretaceous period. It was relatively small, being approximately 6 ft (1.8 m) long. It was similar to Deinonychus in appearance and, like that dinosaur, had a lethal sickle-shaped claw on the second toe of each three-toed foot, which was used for attacking prey. Fossil skeletons have been found in Mongolia. A find of particular interest, discovered in the Gobi desert in 1971, revealed a Velociraptor in the act of attacking another dinosaur, the herbivorous Protoceratops. Velociraptor belongs to the group of saurischian theropods [Gr., = beast feet] that includes Tyrannosaurus, Deinonychus, and living birds.

---

Velociraptor

Genus of clawed theropod dinosaur (family Dromaeosauridae) that flourished in central and eastern Asia during the Late Cretaceous Epoch (99–65 million years ago). It was related to an Early Cretaceous (144–99 million years ago) North American genus, Deinonychus. Both genera had a sickle-shaped claw on each foot and ossified tendon reinforcements in the tail that enabled them to keep their balance while striking and slashing at prey. Swift, agile predators of small herbivores, they grew up to 6 ft (1.8 m) long and weighed up to 100 lb (45 kg).

---

Velociraptor [və′läs·ə‚rap·tər]

(paleontology)

A carnivorous theropod dinosaur, 7 feet (2 meters) long, with birdlike features from the Late Cretaceous that had strong grasping hands with claws, powerful hindlimbs, and jaws containing sharp teeth.