ANATOMY

Megaraptor was a large, terrifying late Cretaceous predator with two enormous, sickle-like toe claws. It was a huge, lightly built, fast-moving, agile, bipedal (walked on two legs), bird-like dinosaur. It had a curved, flexible neck, and a big head with sharp, serrated teeth in very powerful jaws.

The second toe on each foot had a 14 inch (35 cm) sickle-like claw and the other toes had smaller claws. When alive, this claw would have been sheathed in a horny, keratinous material much like our fingernails, making the claw even bigger, longer and sharper. The tail was probably used for balance and fast turning. It may have had a relatively large brain and large eyes. Megaraptor was about 20-26 feet (6-8 m) long.

LOCOMOTION
Megaraptor walked on two slender, bird-like legs; it must have been a fast runner, considering its leg length and light weight. When it ran, it rotated its huge middle-toe-claw upwards and ran on the other toes.

DISCOVERY OF FOSSILS
Incomplete Megaraptor remains were found in 1996 in Northwest Patagonia, Argentina, by paleontologist Fernando E. Novas. Novas named it in 1998 (when it was still thought to be a raptor, hence the name). Fossils included a huge sickle-shaped claw, metatarsal, ulna, and a finger bone.

CLASSIFICATION
Megaraptor was a Saurischian dinosaur, the order of lizard-hipped dinosaurs. It was a theropod and a coelurosaur. It was more primitive than the dromaeosaurid (the smartest dinosaurs, or "raptors," which had wider feet and included Velociraptor, Deinonychus, Hulsanpes, Dromaeosaurus, Utahraptor, and others).

Some scientists believe that Megaraptor is actually an adult Unenlagia

The type species of the genus Megaraptor is M. namunhuaiquii (Novas, 1998); this species is named for the Mapuche (an Argentinian Indian language) word for "foot lance".

Velociraptor may have been able to run up to roughly 40 mph (60 km/hr) for short bursts.

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).


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.
 

DIET
Velociraptor was a carnivore, a meat eater. It probably ate just about anything it could slash and tear apart. It may have hunted in packs. It ate Protoceratops (one was found fossilized with Velociraptor in a battle to the death) and probably ate many other plant-eaters, like hadrosaurs (duck-billed dinosaurs).

LOCOMOTION
Velociraptor walked on two slender legs; it was certainly among the fastest of the dinosaurs, considering its long legs and light weight. Velociraptor may have been able to run up to roughly 40 mph (60 km/hr) for short bursts. Velociraptor could probably also jump.

DISCOVERY OF FOSSILS
Velociraptor was first found and described by paleontologist H. F. Osborn in Mongolia in 1924. About a dozen Velociraptor fossils have been found, including one who died in a battle to the death with Protoceratops and two hatchling Velociraptor skulls that were found near an oviraptorid nest in Mongolia (they may have been a meal). Fossils have been found in Mongolia, Russia, and China.

Recently Acquired

Full Grown Velocoraptor Skull