A Great Find
Figure 17: The position in which a Velociraptor and a Protoceratops died in combat. |
The Polish-Mongolian team unearthed two nearly complete skeletons lying in white sandstone. The skeletons belonged to Protoceratops and Velociraptor, who appeared to be locked in combat. Velociraptor was preserved with its right arm in the mouth of the Protoceratops. The large hooks of its hind claws were raised high against the neck of the Protoceratops. This seems to present a case of a solitary Velociraptor attacking its prey. The attack strategy of Velociraptor was to leap at its prey, feet and arms extended. This posture was balanced by the long, stiff tail. The Velociraptor would then grab onto its prey with grasping hands, then tear out the creature's throat or guts with its sickle-shaped foot-claws. It is assumed that Velociraptor hunted in packs but not enough evidence for this has been unearthed. |
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