Re: Velociraptor

[Jonathon Woolf <jwoolf@erinet.com>]

mark wrote:
> 
> I am more than just a little confused.  I have been doing some research on
> dinosaurs and I found that Velociraptor had a size of 1.8m.  I want to know
> if this is correct.  I am under the understanding that Velociraptor was only
> about .8m tall. This information came from the Dinosaur Hunter Interactive
> software which I just picked up.  I am also interested in knowing if the
> correct weight was 15kg.  This seems a bit light for a 1.8m tall animal.
> Thanks in advance.
> -Hatch :)

Your understanding is correct.  I suspect the different figures arise
from confusing _length_ with _height_.  _Velociraptor mongoliensis_ was
up to 180cm long from tip of nose to tip of tail, but because it held
its body almost horizontal, its normal posture had its head only about a
meter off the ground.

15kg does seem a bit light, but not by much.  My own guess based on
Dinamation's 3-D models would be in the neighborhood of 20-25kg.  If
that still seems light, remember that even a large wolf is under 50kg,
and a slender biped like _Velociraptor_ would have much less mass that a
heavyset four-footed wolf.

-- JSW