<P> Velociraptor (/ vɪˈlɒsɪræptər /; meaning "swift seizer" in Latin) is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 75 to 71 million years ago during the later part of the Cretaceous Period . Two species are currently recognized, although others have been assigned in the past . The type species is V. mongoliensis; fossils of this species have been discovered in Mongolia . A second species, V. osmolskae, was named in 2008 for skull material from Inner Mongolia, China . </P> <P> Smaller than other dromaeosaurids like Deinonychus and Achillobator, Velociraptor nevertheless shared many of the same anatomical features . It was a bipedal, feathered carnivore with a long tail and an enlarged sickle - shaped claw on each hindfoot, which is thought to have been used to tackle and disembowel prey . Velociraptor can be distinguished from other dromaeosaurids by its long and low skull, with an upturned snout . </P> <P> Velociraptor (commonly shortened to "raptor") is one of the dinosaur genera most familiar to the general public due to its prominent role in the Jurassic Park motion picture series . In real life, however, Velociraptor was roughly the size of a turkey, considerably smaller than the approximately 2 m (7 ft) tall 80 kg (180 lb) reptiles seen in the films . Today, Velociraptor is well known to paleontologists, with over a dozen described fossil skeletons, the most of any dromaeosaurid . One particularly famous specimen preserves a Velociraptor locked in combat with a Protoceratops . </P> <P> Velociraptor was a mid-sized dromaeosaurid, with adults measuring up to 2.07 m (6.8 ft) long, 0.5 m (1.6 ft) high at the hip, and weighing up to 15 kg (33 lb). The skull, which grew up to 25 cm (10 in) long, was uniquely up - curved, concave on the upper surface and convex on the lower . The jaws were lined with 26--28 widely spaced teeth on each side, each more strongly serrated on the back edge than the front . </P>

What kind of raptor was in jurassic park