velociraptor
Swift Cretaceous carnivore
A velociraptor was a small, swift predatory dinosaur that lived during the Cretaceous period, roughly 75 million years ago.
Despite their fearsome reputation from popular culture, actual velociraptors were about the size of a turkey, with feathers and a distinctive curved claw on each foot.
The name means "swift thief." The velociraptor skeleton showed evidence of a battle with a protoceratops.
Bipedal carnivorous dinosaur group
- saurischianLizard-hipped dinosaur clade
- fossilPreserved ancient organism
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- extinctNo longer existing
Mesozoic · Cretaceous · carnivore · prehistoric · archaeopteryx · amber · Mongolia · Gobi Desert
Dinosaur amusement park catastrophe
- CGIDigital movie imagery
- oversizedExceeding typical dimensions
- scalyCovered with thin plates
- HollywoodAmerican film industry center
Spielberg · movie monster · animatronic · franchise · Crichton
Limber and quick-moving
- speedyCharacterized by quickness
- quickMoving with speed
- nimbleQuick and light-moving
- fleetVehicles under unified command
bipedal · lightweight · pursuit · sprinter · lithe · athletic
Surprise strike from concealment
- stalkingStealthy, persistent pursuit
- hunterPursuer of prey
- preyAnimal being hunted
- pack huntingPredators coordinating their kills
carnivore · meat-eater · predation · pursuit · kill · attack · scavenger · opportunistic
Preserved ancient organism
- excavationAct of unearthing
- paleontologistScientist studying prehistoric life
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
stratigraphy · carbon-dating · coprolite · phylogeny · cladistics · quarry · specimen · reconstruction
Hooked bird claws
- sickle clawCurved predatory toe weapon
- curvedSmoothly bent, not angular
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- retractableAble to draw inward
slash · grip · puncture · hooked · weapon · raptorial · serrated
Hostile and confrontational
- savageFierce and untamed
- ferociousExtremely violent or aggressive
- viciousCruelly aggressive in nature
- menacingConveying threat or danger
formidable · deadly · relentless · tenacious · intimidating
Bird's complete feather coat
- quillFeather used for writing
- downyHaving soft, fine texture
- covertsConcealing undergrowth or plumage
- birdlikeResembling feathered creatures
avian · insulation · display · keratin · integument · warm-blooded · endothermic
theropod
Bipedal carnivorous dinosaur group
- saurischianLizard-hipped dinosaur clade
- fossilPreserved ancient organism
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
extinct · Mesozoic · Cretaceous · carnivore · prehistoric · archaeopteryx · amber · Mongolia · Gobi Desert
Jurassic Park
Dinosaur amusement park catastrophe
Spielberg · movie monster · Hollywood · animatronic · franchise · Crichton
agile
Limber and quick-moving
fleet · bipedal · lightweight · pursuit · sprinter · lithe · athletic
ambush
Surprise strike from concealment
pack hunting · carnivore · meat-eater · predation · pursuit · kill · attack · scavenger · opportunistic · territorial
fossil
Preserved ancient organism
- excavationAct of unearthing
- paleontologistScientist studying prehistoric life
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
sediment · stratigraphy · carbon-dating · coprolite · phylogeny · cladistics · quarry · specimen · reconstruction · paleoecology
talons
Hooked bird claws
- sickle clawCurved predatory toe weapon
- curvedSmoothly bent, not angular
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
retractable · slash · grip · puncture · hooked · weapon · raptorial · serrated
aggressive
Hostile and confrontational
menacing · formidable · deadly · relentless · tenacious · intimidating
plumage
Bird's complete feather coat
birdlike · avian · insulation · display · keratin · integument · warm-blooded · endothermic
- Extinct Animalsdinosaur, dinosaurs, tyrannosaurus, dodo, mammoth
- apex predatorsgreat white shark, tiger, lion, orca, killer whale
- bipedshuman, kangaroo, ostrich, emu, penguin
- carnivoresmeat-eating, apex predator, wolf, tiger, hypercarnivore
- dinosaursdinosaurs, Brachiosaurus, raptors, Spinosaurus, sauropods
- fossilsdinosaur bones, ammonite, amber, ammonites, fossils
velociraptorherbivore
Plant-only consumer
Protoceratops · hadrosaur · plant-eater · grazer · sauropod