Velociraptors were terrifying beasts – even though they look like angry ducks in this illustration (Provider: Sydney Mohr/Current Biology/SWNS)

If you’ve watched Jurassic Park, you might think that being attacked by a velociraptor would conclude with the dinosaur tearing you limb by limb using its razor-sharp claws.

But it turns out that the film was wrong.

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The fearsome flesh-eating Velociraptor dinosaur killed its prey with a powerful bite using a similar ‘puncture-and-pull’ technique to that employed by the Tyrannosaurus Rex

That means anything destined to become the dino’s dinner would end its days experiencing the velociraptor dragging its teeth through their flesh and bone.


Scientists analysed ancient gnashers to discover the tooth about how velociraptors attacked (Source: Current Biology / SWNS.com)

Scientists compared patterns of wear-and-tear on the beasts’ teeth and modelled their serrated, blade-like gnashers to shed fresh light on their lifestyle.



The study, published in the journal Current Biology, also suggest the beasts weren’t necessarily in direct competition for their next meal – preferring different meat.

Some apparently preyed on larger, struggling prey, while others stuck to softer or smaller fare.

Dr Angelica Torices, of the University of La Rioja in Spain, said: ‘All these dinosaurs were living at the same time and place – so it is important to know if they were competing for food resources or if they were aiming for different prey.

‘Through this work we can begin to understand the interactions between these predatory dinosaurs in the ecosystem a bit better.

Raptors or dromaeosaurids were slender two-legged hunters popularised in fictional books and films such as Jurassic Park in part because of their sharp claws.

They are considered to have been the most intelligent of the dinosaurs.