VELOCIRAPTOR WITH WINGS 3D FULL

The few data points we have come either from quite unusual, potentially specialised dromaeosaurs (Microraptor and Zhenyuanlong) or less closely related animals that are also quite specialised for different lifestyles (Anchiornis and modern birds). The problem is not only is it NOT a dromaeosaur, but a more distantly related paravian, but also that it appears to have quite distinct “wing” structure quite unlike that of modern birds, and this is at odds with what we know from Microraptor and Zhenyuanlong, which both have a more modern bird-like structure of short coverts and long primaries and secondaries.Īll in all, the patchy evidence leaves a lot of space for speculation. The second issue is that Zhenyuanlong is probably somewhat closely related to Microraptor, so it’s possible that “wings” of this shape and size are simply a feature of this group and not shared by more distantly related dromaeosaurs.Īnchiornis is known from a number of well preserved specimens giving us a good indication of life appearance of feathers. Whether these differences in proportion and presumed lifestyle would amount to larger or smaller “wing” feathers I do not know, but it is clear that there are substantial differences between these animals that may have been visible in their appearance in life. To my relatively untrained eye Velociraptor looks like something that might take slightly larger prey than Zhenyuanlong. If anything, Zhenyuanlong appears less robust and less heavily clawed than Velociraptor, with shorter arms and smaller hands and jaws. The issue with using Zhenyuanlong as a basis for Velociraptor “wings” is twofold: Firstly they have some quite different features and presumably quite different lifestyles. Given that we only have one published fossil of Zhenyuanlong we can only speculate. Older animals may have had significantly different looking “wings” to juveniles, for example, and males may have been different from females. It has also been suggested that they are used for display, or possibly covering a nest for brooding, and if so they could vary greatly in size and shape depending on the display/hunting/brooding requirements of the individual animal. The exact use of these feathers is not known, although it is suggested that they are used in a hunting strategy called “Raptor Prey Restraint”, to mantle and surround small prey animals gripped in the foot claws, while also balancing the body of the dromaeosaur in this position in conjunction with the long tail. It is therefore safe to assume that large “wings” are not solely useful for flight, and presumably serve some other purpose in Zhenyuanlong. Zhenyuanlong IS about the same size and build as Velociraptor, too heavy to fly and yet is known to have “wings” almost as proportionately large as Microraptor on the arms. For this reason it may not be safe to generalise features from Microraptor onto larger relatives. This makes it a very different type of animal from a larger, heavier dromaeosaur like Velociraptor, which was definitely too heavy and ungainly to fly.

It almost certainly had some kind of limited flight capability, perhaps just gliding although powered flight has been suggested. Microraptor is EXTREMELY small compared to most other dromaeosaurs and has very long limbs with a large “wing” on each arm AND each leg. There are a few more distantly related animals such as the paravian Anchiornis that give us a good impression of a general maniraptoran “wing” structure, and there are partially preserved and unpublished specimens of a variety of related animals, but all of these reference points have slight issues.

VELOCIRAPTOR WITH WINGS 3D FULL

The evidence we have comes from several fossils of Microraptor that preserve full or partial “wings”, one fossil of Zhenyuanlong with almost full “wings” preserved, and.that’s about it. We really have very limited direct, published fossil evidence for the size and shape of dromaeosaur “wing” feathers. I’ve tried to signpost where I am fully speculating, but as always please comment and let me know if you have thoughts.*Īn exercise in the unknown. *SPECULATION ALERT: Just to be clear, I am not a palaeontologist, I am an artist with a degree in Animal Biology, so while I know a bunch of stuff, it’s entirely possible (likely?) that there are things I’ve missed.

Velociraptor with wings 3d