Genus
Valid Extinct

Velociraptor

Osborn 1924
Etymology Voleur rapide

Velociraptor is a genus of small dromaeosaurid dinosaurs that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous epoch, about 75 million to 71 million years ago (Mya). Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in the past. The type species is V. mongoliensis, named and described in 1924. Fossils of this species have been discovered in the Djadochta Formation, Mongolia. A second species, V. osmolskae, was named in 2008 for skull material from the Bayan Mandahu Formation, China. A possible record is known from the Nemegt Formation.

Temporal range
Triassic
Jurassic
Cretaceous
Paleogene
Neogene
252 201 145 66 0 Ma
PBDB occurrences
20
Group
Dinosaures
Carnivore Ground dwelling Terrestrial
Velociraptor
click to enlarge
Velociraptor skeleton © Eduard Solà Vázquez · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia
PBDB ↗ Wikipedia ↗
Classification
Dinosauria Unranked clade
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Theropoda Unranked clade
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Neotheropoda Unranked clade
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Averostra Unranked clade
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Tetanurae Unranked clade
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Coelurosauria Unranked clade
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Maniraptora Unranked clade
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Paraves Unranked clade
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Deinonychosauria Infraorder
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Dromaeosauridae Family
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Eudromaeosauria Unranked clade
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Velociraptorinae Subfamily
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Velociraptor Genus
Measurements
Height
0,5 m ⓘ
Length
1,8 m ⓘ
Mass
15 kg ⓘ
Fossil sites 20 geolocated sites
Distribution
Top countries
🇲🇳 Mongolia
15
🇨🇳 China
3
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
1
🇨🇦 Canada
1
Geological formations
Djadokhta
13
Baruungoyot
2
Zouyun
1
Dabrazhin
1
Dinosaur Park
1
Bayan Mandahu
1
Minhe
1
Temporal distribution
Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)
19
Coniacian (89.8–85.7 Ma)
1
Species (2)
Velociraptor mongoliensis 90 Ma
Velociraptor osmolskae 84 Ma
News 1
This four-winged dinosaur may have terrorized Earth's earliest birds
bone feather predator China Dinosauria +3
A newly discovered feathered dinosaur called Jian changmaensis may be the missing predator responsible for mysterious piles of crushed prehistoric bird bones in China. The four-winged glider, a close cousin of Velociraptor, helps reveal how early birds and their dinosaur relatives shared the same ancient landscape.
23/06/2026 sciencedaily
Images 6
Bibliography
Original description
H. F. Osborn. 1924. Three new Theropoda, Protoceratops zone, central Mongolia. American Museum Novitates 144:1-12
Bibliography (16)
M. Watabe, K. Tsogtbaatar, and S. Suzuki, M. Saneyoshi. 2010. Geology of dinosaur-fossil-bearing localities (Jurassic and Cretaceous: Mesozoic) in the Gobi Desert: Results of the HMNS-MPC Joint Paleontological Expedition. Hayashibara Museum of Natural Sciences Research Bulletin 3:41-118
P. Godefroit, P. J. Currie, and H. Li, C. Y. Shang, Z.-M. Dong. 2008. A new species of Velociraptor (Dinosauria: Dromaeosauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of northern China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28(2):432-438 DOI ↗
L. M. Chiappe, S. Suzuki, and G. J. Dyke, M. Watabe, K. Tsogtbaatar, R. Barsbold. 2007. A new enantiornithine bird from the Late Cretaceous of the Gobi Desert. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 5(2):193-208 DOI ↗
A. H. Turner, P. J. Makovicky, and M. A. Norell. 2007. Feather quill knobs in the dinosaur Velociraptor. Science 317(5845):1721 DOI ↗
S. Suzuki and M. Watabe. 2000. Report on the Japan–Mongolia Joint Paleontological Expedition to the Gobi desert, 1998. Hayashibara Museum of Natural Sciences Research Bulletin 1:83-98
M. Watabe and S. Suzuki. 2000. Cretaceous fossil localities and a list of fossils collected by the Hayashibara Museum of Natural Sciences and Mongolian Paleontological Center Joint Paleontological Expedition (JMJPE) from 1993 through 1998. Hayashibara Museum of Natural Sciences Research Bulletin 1:99-108
W. Watabe and S. Suzuki. 2000. Report on the Japan–Mongolia Joint Paleontological Expedition to the Gobi desert, 1994. Hayashibara Museum of Natural Sciences Research Bulletin 1:30-44
M. A. Norell and P. J. Makovicky. 1999. Important features of the dromaeosaur skeleton II: information from newly collected specimens of Velociraptor mongoliensis. American Museum Novitates 3282:1-45
D. Dashzeveg, M. J. Novacek, and MA Norell, JM Clark, LM Chiappe, A. Davidson, MC McKenna, L. Dingus, C. Swisher, P. Altangerel. 1995. Extraordinary preservation in a new vertebrate assemblage from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. Nature 374:446-449 DOI ↗
J. M. Wood, R.G. Thomas, and J. Visser. 1988. Fluvial processes and vertebrate taphonomy: the Upper Cretaceous Judith River Formation, south-central Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 66:127-143 DOI ↗
R. Gradzinski, Z. Kielan-Jaworowska, and T. Maryanska. 1977. Upper Cretaceous Djadokhta, Barun Goyot and Nemegt formations of Mongolia, including remarks on previous subdivisions. Acta Geologica Polonica 27(3):281-318
R. Barsbold. 1974. Poyedinok dinozavrov [Dueling dinosaurs]. Prioda 1974(2):81-83
C.-C. Young. 1958. The first record of dinosaurian remains from Shansi. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 2(4):231-236
B. Bohlin. 1953. VI. Vertebrate Palaeontology 6. Fossil reptiles from Mongolia and Kansu. Reports from the Scientific Expedition to the North-western Provinces of China under Leadership of Dr. Sven Hedin. The Sino-Swedish Expedition Publication 37:1-113
A. N. Riabinin. 1938. Some results of the studies of the Upper Cretaceous dinosaurian fauna from the vicinity of the station Sary-Agach, South Kazakhstan. Problems of Paleontology 4:125-135
H. F. Osborn. 1924. Three new Theropoda, Protoceratops zone, central Mongolia. American Museum Novitates 144:1-12