Interactions

                       

As discussed in the Form and Function section, Velociraptor mongoliensis was a fast, agile and successful predator.  The backwardly curved, serrated teeth of V. mongoliensis have been found embedded in many fossil specimens, however, perhaps the most indicative and undisputable evidence of this theropod’s predatory nature is displayed by the famous “Fighting Pair.”  
 
“The Fighting Pair”

In 1981, a Polish-Mongolian paleontologist team uncovered the intact fossil remains of a Velociraptor and a Protoceratops caught in battle.  The Protoceratops appears to have been crouching as the Velociraptor attacked.  The left arm of the Velociraptor is covering the face its prey as the right forearm is caught in between the beak of the Protoceratops.  The neck of the V. mongoliensis is stuck in a characteristic, tight S-curve.  The sickle claw of the left foot is extended into what would have been the neck of the Protoceratops, while the right leg of V. mongoliensis appears to be stuck under the body of the Protoceratops.  This fossil specimen paints an interesting picture as to how the battle played out.  It can be interpreted that the Protoceratops bit down on the right arm of the V. mongoliensis,  collapsing as V. mongoliensis used it’s sickle claw to pierce the jugular vein of the Protoceratops.  Velociraptor was then trapped under the weight of its massive prey.  It is thought that the two dinosaurs were preserved so exquisitely due to a sand slide covering the two of them shortly after battle (Carpenter. 1998).

While “The Fighting Pair” provides indisputable evidence that V. mongoliensis was a predatory dinosaur, it raises many questions as to how such a small dinosaur could effectively take down such large prey.  Although it is possible that V. mongoliensis went after large prey that appeared weak or already injured, it is perhaps more plausible that V. mongoliensis hunted in packs, much like wolves and hawks do.  Wolves hunt in packs so that they can take on much larger prey than they could effectively kill on their own.  Velociraptor might have behaved in a similar fashion.  So in the case of “The Fighting Pair,” one might ask “If Velociraptor hunted in packs, why wasn’t the rest of the pack buried in the sand slide?”  Possibly, the pair was buried before the other Velociraptors had a chance to come in to help.  Unfortunately, despite being provided with such an amazing window into the past as “The Fighting Pair,” it is still really hard to tell.

For some additional information, see our fun facts page!