Featured Article Summary #30

Velociraptor is a small dinosaur that lived in Asia around 75-71 million years ago. There are two recognized species, V. mongoliensis and V. osmolskae. V. mongoliensis fossils have been found in Mongolia and V. osmolskae fossils in China. Velociraptor was smaller than other similar dinosaurs but had many of the same features. It was a carnivore with feathers, a long tail, and a large sickle-shaped claw on each hindfoot. Velociraptor is commonly known as "raptor" and is famous due to its appearance in the Jurassic Park films. In real life, it was much smaller than depicted in the movies. Paleontologists have found over a dozen Velociraptor fossils, including one with a Velociraptor in a fight with a Protoceratops. The first Velociraptor fossil was discovered in 1923, consisting of a crushed skull and a claw. It was named Velociraptor mongoliensis by museum president Henry Fairfield Osborn. More specimens of Velociraptor were discovered in Mongolia by Soviet, Polish, and Chinese teams, including the famous "Fighting Dinosaurs" specimen. In 1990, American scientists returned to Mongolia and found well-preserved skeletons. In 2021, a new species called Shri devi was named based on a specimen found without its skull. Additionally, a juvenile Velociraptor skeleton was found in 1999. Additional species of Velociraptor have been identified, including V. osmolskae and a new species described by Mark J. Powers in 2020. These species have distinct characteristics, such as differences in maxilla morphology and hindlimb anatomy, suggesting ecological separation from V. mongoliensis. Further reassessment is required to determine if V. osmolskae truly belongs to the Velociraptor genus. Velociraptor was a small to medium-sized dinosaur, measuring between 1.5 - 2.07 m long and weighing about 14.1 - 19.7 kg. There is evidence to suggest that Velociraptor had feathers, based on the presence of quill knobs on a specimen. However, further study is needed to confirm this. Other related dinosaurs also had feathers, providing supporting evidence. The skull of Velociraptor was elongated and had a uniquely up-curved snout. The snout was narrow and made up of the nasal, premaxilla, and maxilla bones. The skull also had several large holes and the lower jaw had several bones that articulated with each other. The teeth were all the same shape and had serrations on the back edge. The front teeth were the longest and the lower end of the teeth were more serrated than the upper end.