In Depth
Though only named from a leg and foot, Velocisaurus seems to have been a particularly fast running dinosaur given that the leg shows clear adaptations for running, hence the name which means ‘swift lizard’. When the dinosaur Velocisaurus was first described by Jos� Bonaparte in 1991 he speculated that Velocisaurus might have been omnivorous given that the only claw found was straight, and not shaped like that seen in a meat eating theropod dinosaur. This might indicate that Velocisaurus was not running after other dinosaurs to eat, however without a skull and ideally confirmed stomach contents, the exact diet of Velocisaurus can only be guessed at. Velocisaurus is currently considered to be a noasaurid dinosaur, and a particularly close relative of Masiakasaurus from Madagascar.
Velocisaurus should not be confused with Velociraptor, a small but famous genus of dromaeosaur that lived on the other side of the world.
Further Reading
- Los vertebrados f�siles de la Formaci�n Rio Colorado, de la Ciudad de Neuqu�n y Cercan�as, Cret�cico Superior, Argentina. [The fossil vertebrates of the Rio Colorado Formation, of the city of Neuqu�n and surroundings, Upper Cretaceous, Argentina]. - Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” e Instituto Nacional de Investigaci�n de las Ciencias Naturales. Paleontolog�a 4: 17-123. - Jos� Bonaparte - 1991. – A new specimen of Velocisaurus unicus (Theropoda, Abelisauroidea) from the Paso C�rdoba locality (Santonian), R�o Negro, Argentina. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 36 (4): e1119156. – F. B. Egli, F. L. Agnol�n & Fernando Novas – 2016.
