Velociraptors from the Jurassic World Franchise

The tall grass of Isla Sorna whispers in the afternoon breeze, creating a hypnotic pattern of movement across the vast field before you. You've strayed from the tour path, drawn by the beauty of the untamed landscape. A distant memory of Dr. Alan Grant's stern warnings about raptors and tall grass flickers in the back of your mind, but you dismiss it. After all, the island's security systems and containment procedures have been significantly upgraded since the original incidents.

A sound catches your attention – a chirp-like call, almost birdlike in its musicality. You freeze, scanning the grass around you. Nothing. Just the wind and the endless sea of green. The sound comes again, this time from a different direction. And then another from somewhere else entirely. The realization hits you with cold clarity: you're being hunted.

Suddenly, the grass parts twenty feet ahead of you, revealing the sleek, muscular form of a Velociraptor. Standing about six feet tall, its skin is a mottled pattern of browns and greens, with distinctive blue stripes running down its sides. The creature's head tilts as its amber eyes lock onto yours with chilling intelligence. You've seen them before, of course – safely behind glass in the park's exhibits. But here, with nothing between you and those curved, six-inch killing claws, the raptor is a different creature entirely.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calarogu shark media. The tall grass of Islasauna whispers in
the afternoon breeze, creating a hypnotic pattern of movement across
the vast field before you. You've strayed from the tour path,

(00:26):
drawn by the beauty of the untamed landscape. A distant
memory of doctor Alan Grant's stern warnings about raptors and
tall grass flickers in the back of your mind, but
you dismiss it. After all, the island security systems and
containment procedures have been significantly upgraded since the original incidence.

(00:51):
A sound catches your attention, a chirp like call, almost
birdlike in its musicality. Trease scanning the grass around you, nothing,
just the wind and the endless sea of green. The
sound comes again, this time from a different direction, and

(01:12):
then another from somewhere else entirely. The realization hits you
with cold clarity. You're being hunted. Suddenly, the grass parts
twenty feet ahead of you, revealing the sleek, muscular form
of a velociraptor, standing about six feet tall. Its skin

(01:33):
is a mottled pattern of browns and greens, with distinctive
blue stripes running down its sides. The creature's head tilts
as its amber eyes lock onto yours with chilling intelligence.
You've seen them before, of course, safely behind glass in
the parks exhibits. But here, with nothing between you and

(01:55):
those curved six inch killing claws, the raptor is a
different creature entirely. As if responding to an unheard command,
the raptor lets out a guttural bark. Two more raptors
emerge from the grass on either side of you, effectively
cutting off any escape routes. They're coordinating, communicating through a

(02:17):
series of chirps and head movements, displaying the pack hunting
behavior that makes them so lethal. You make a desperate
break for it, sprinting toward what you think is the
thinnest point in their formation. It's a fatal mistake. The
moment you move, the lead raptor lets out a shriek

(02:38):
that sounds almost like triumph. The impact comes from your
left fifty pounds of prehistoric predator slamming into your midsection
with the force of a linebacker. You hit the ground hard,
the wind knocked from your lungs. Before you can recover,
searing pain tears through your abdomen as the raptor's massive

(03:01):
sickle claw slices deep into your flesh. You try to
fight back, but it's futile. The second raptor pounces on
your legs its weight, pinning you down as its claws
begin their grisly work. The third circles, seemingly patient, calculating
before lunging for your throat. The last sounds you hear

(03:26):
are the excited chittering of the pack as they begin
to feed, methodically, dismembering you while you're still conscious. In
your final moments of awareness, a terrible thought surfaces. The
raptors didn't just kill you. They used you to learn.
Every human encounter teaches them something new about our weaknesses,

(03:50):
our predictable behaviors, and they're getting better at hunting us
with each kill. Welcome to Monsters, Sharks, and Dinosaurs, the
podcast that explores the deadliest creatures to ever capture our imaginations. Today,

(04:14):
we're examining the velociraptor, the intelligent pack hunter that has
become the signature predator of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic
World franchises. When Jurassic Park roared into theaters in nineteen
ninety three, it forever changed how we view dinosaurs. No
longer were they lumbering, dim witted beasts, especially not the

(04:37):
film's breakout stars, the Velociraptors. Director Steven Spielberg's decision to
transform these dinosaurs into cunning, coordinated hunters created one of
cinema's most enduring and terrifying movie monsters. Throughout the franchise,
velociraptors have been portrayed as highly intelligent predators with problems

(04:59):
so solving abilities approaching those of primates. They can open doors,
set traps, and communicate through an elaborate system of calls
and body language. Their pack hunting behavior, inspired by wolves,
but elevated to a nearly tactical level, makes them far
more dangerous than their relatively modest sized would suggest. In

(05:23):
the original Jurassic Park, the raptors were pure antagonists, relentless
killers that stalked the human protagonists through the park's kitchen
in one of cinema's most suspenseful sequences. By the Lost World,
Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park three, we got glimpses of
their complex social structures and protective behaviors toward their nests

(05:48):
and young Jurassic World took the concept in a new
direction with Owen Grady's Chris Pratt trained raptor Squad, Blue, Charlie, Delta,
and Echo. This iteration of the franchise explored the possibility
of a tenuous alliance between humans and raptors built on

(06:11):
mutual respect rather than dominance. Blue in particular, developed into
a fully realized character with loyalty, memory, and emotional responses
that blurred the line between monster and protagonist. Jurassic World
Fallen Kingdom and Jurassic World Dominion continued this evolution, with

(06:36):
Blue exhibiting not just intelligence, but empathy and something akin
to moral decision making. The franchise ultimately presented raptors as
complex creatures capable of both savage violence and surprising tenderness,
dangerous but not inherently malevolent. But how accurate is the

(06:57):
franchise's portrayal of the loss raptors compared to what paleontologists
have discovered about these prehistoric predators. The answer not very
but that's by design. The velociraptors in the Jurassic Park
franchise are actually based primarily on Dinonicus, a related but

(07:17):
larger dromiosaurid dinosaur. The decision to use the name velociraptor
reportedly came from Michael Crichton, author of the original novel,
who found it more dramatic. When the first film was
in production, paleontologist Gregory S. Paul had recently published work

(07:38):
classifying Dinonicus as a species of velociraptor, a classification not
widely accepted by the scientific community, but one that provided
a convenient justification for the film's artistic license. The real
Velociraptor mongoliensis was considerably smaller than its movie counterpart, about

(08:02):
the size of a turkey, standing roughly one point six
feet zero point five meters tall at the hip and
measuring around six point eight feet two point zero seven
meters in length. In contrast, the film's raptors stand about
six feet tall, closer to the size of Diynonicus or

(08:24):
the even larger uterraptor, which was discovered while the original
Jurassic Park was in production. Perhaps the most significant scientific
inaccuracy in the franchise's portrayal is the lack of feathers.
When the original film was made in nineteen ninety three,
there was already some evidence suggesting that dromeosaurids had feathers,

(08:48):
but it wasn't conclusive. In the decades since, fossil discoveries
have definitively proven that Velociraptor and its relatives were heavily feathered,
with complex arrangements of feathers on their arms that likely
formed wings, though they couldn't fly. By the time Jurassic
World was released in twenty fifteen, the scientific consensus on

(09:12):
feathered dromeosaurids was overwhelming. The filmmakers acknowledged this with a
line from doctor Henry Wu BD Wong, none of these
dinosaurs are real. We've always filled gaps in the genome
with the DNA of other animals, and if their genetic
code was pure, many of them would look quite different.

(09:35):
This meta commentary provided an in universe explanation for why
the franchise's dinosaurs don't match current scientific understanding. Regarding intelligence,
The franchise significantly exaggerates velociraptors cognitive abilities. While they likely
had above average intelligence for dinosaurs based on their relatively

(09:59):
large brain to body ratio, their problem solving abilities and
social coordination wouldn't have approached the almost human like intelligence
depicted in the films. Real velociraptors were certainly smart predators,
perhaps comparable to modern birds of prey or crocodilians, but

(10:19):
they couldn't open doors or communicate with the sophistication shown
in the movies. So could Jurassic Parks velociraptors really kill
you the way we described at the beginning of our episode.
If we accept the movie version of velociraptors their size, speed,
and coordinated hunting behavior, then yes, they would be extraordinarily

(10:43):
dangerous to humans. Their hunting technique in the franchise, using
their sickle shaped toe claws to deliver deep, slashing wounds
to prey, is based on real paleontological theories about how
dromeosaurids might have hunted. These enlarged claws up to five
inches long in Diynonicus, were once thought to be used

(11:06):
to slash and disembowel prey, similar to how big cats kill.
More recent research suggests they may have been used more
like the talons of eagles, to pierce deeply into prey,
securing it while the predators wait and other clause finished
the job. Either way, the result for a human victim

(11:28):
would be catastrophic trauma. More in a moment. The speed

(11:51):
attributed to movie raptors up to forty to sixty miles
per hour in some of the franchise's descriptions is likely exaggerated,
but real dromeosaurids were undoubtedly fast and agile. Biomechanical studies
suggest velociraptor could run at speeds of around twenty four
miles per hour, slower than the film's version, but still

(12:15):
faster than the average human runner. The most dangerous aspect
of the film's raptors is their coordinated pack hunting, a
behavior that multiplies their lethality. There is some fossil evidence
suggesting that at least some dromosaurids hunted in groups, based

(12:36):
on multiple specimens found in association with single prey animals.
If real velociraptors did hunt in packs, they would have
been able to take down prey much larger than themselves,
a hunting strategy we see in modern wolves and lions.
For a human confronted by multiple velociraptors employing coordinated tactics,

(13:00):
survival chances would be minimal, unlike many predators that might
be deterred by loud noises or aggressive posturing. The franchise
portrays raptors as relentless and calculating once they've targeted prey,
a trait that makes them particularly terrifying. The real velociraptor

(13:22):
at turkey size would have been much less dangerous to humans.
While still a predator with sharp claws and teeth that
could cause serious injury, it would likely have avoided attacking
something as large as a human unless desperately hungry or cornered.
That said, even a modern wild turkey can cause significant

(13:43):
injuries when provoked, so encountering a velociraptor sized dromeosaurid would
hardly be a pleasant experience. The velociraptor's journey through scientific
understanding is a fascinating story of how new discoveries can
tenuously reshape our view of prehistoric life. When the first

(14:05):
velociraptor fossils were discovered in Mongolia in nineteen twenty four
by Roy Chapman Andrews, an explorer who was one of
the inspirations for Indiana Jones, they were immediately recognized as small,
carnivorous dinosaurs. The genus name Velociraptor means swift thief, reflecting

(14:28):
early interpretations of it as a quick agile predator. For decades,
Velociraptor was a relatively obscure dinosaur, known primarily to paleontologists.
This changed dramatically in the nineteen sixties with John Ostrom's
groundbreaking work on Dinonicus, a related dromeosaurid. Ostrom's research revealed

(14:51):
that these dinosaurs were active, warm blooded predators, a radical
departure from the then prevailing view of dinosaurs as cold blooded,
sluggish reptiles. This dinosaur renaissance laid the groundwork for the dynamic,
agile raptors that would later terrify audiences in Jurassic Park.

(15:15):
The discovery of feathers on dinosaurs closely related to Velociraptor
began in the nineteen nineties with fines from China's Leoning province.
By two thousand and seven, researchers had found definitive evidence
of feather quill knobs on a velociraptor four armed fossil,
confirming that they had feathered arms similar to modern birds.

(15:39):
These discoveries helped cement the evolutionary connection between dinosaurs and birds,
a relationship now accepted as one of the most well
documented examples of macro evolution. In the fossil record. Recent
studies of velociraptor brains using CT scans of skulls suggest
they had relatively large areas devoted to higher cognitive functions,

(16:04):
supporting the idea that they were indeed intelligent hunters. They
also had large optic lobes indicating good vision, and an
expanded cerebellum suggesting agility and coordination. While not as intelligent
as portrayed in the films, they were certainly among the

(16:24):
brainier dinosaurs of their time. Ongoing research on modern predators
like komodo dragons, crocodilians, and birds of prey continues to
provide insights into how velociraptors might have behaved. Studies of
avian intelligence in particular, have revealed surprising cognitive abilities in

(16:46):
modern dinosaur descendants, lending some credence to the idea of
clever predatory dinosaurs, though still nothing approaching the near human
reasoning shown in the films. From a marketing perspective, few
prehistoric creatures have achieved the cultural impact of the velociraptor.

(17:08):
Following the release of Jurassic Park, raptor merchandise exploded in popularity,
action figures, video games, Halloween costumes, and countless other product
capitalized on these charismatic predators. The marketing of velociraptors has
frequently emphasized their intelligence and pack hunting behavior, aspects that

(17:32):
distinguished them from other popular dinosaurs like t Rex. Where
the t Rex was marketed as a solitary force of
nature all power and primal terror, raptors were positioned as
calculating predators whose intelligence made the more insidious threats. The

(17:54):
distinctive silhouette of a raptor, sleek body, curved neck, sickle claw, raised,
became an instantly recognizable icon, featured prominently on everything from
movie posters to theme park signage. The sound design for
the raptors, particularly their barking calls and the clicking of

(18:16):
their claws on hard surfaces, created an auditory signature as
recognizable as the t Rex's roar. The evolution of raptor
marketing across the franchise reflects changing cultural attitudes toward predators.
In the original trilogy, they were marketed primarily as villains

(18:37):
the epitome of prehistoric terror. By the Jurassic World era,
the marketing emphasized their complexity, with blue in particular portrayed
almost as an antihero, dangerous but relatable, with motivations beyond
simple predatory instinct. This shift aligns with broader trends in

(18:58):
how we view predators in conservation contexts. From viewing wolves, sharks,
and big cats as enemies to be exterminated, cultural attitudes
have evolved toward recognizing their ecological importance and intrinsic value,
dangerous but worthy of respect and protection. The franchise's portrayal

(19:21):
of raptors has undergone a similar evolution from pure monster
to complex being. Universal studios theme parks have featured velociraptors prominently,
with raptor encounter experiences, allowing visitors to interact with convincingly
realistic raptor puppets controlled by performers. These attractions capitalize on

(19:45):
the unique position raptors occupy in the public imagination, frightening
enough to create thrilling experiences, but charismatic enough that people
actively seek these encounters rather than merely in due during
them as part of a larger attraction. As we conclude
our exploration of the velociraptor, it's worth reflecting on why

(20:10):
these dinosaurs have embedded themselves so deeply in popular culture.
Perhaps it's because they represent a different kind of fear
than traditional movie monsters. The velociraptor's terror isn't rooted in
supernatural power or enormous size, but in intelligence and intent.

(20:31):
There's something profoundly unsettling about being hunted by a predator
that isn't just following instinct, but is actively thinking, planning,
and coordinating to kill you. The raptors challenge our comfortable
position at the top of the cognitive food chain, suggesting
that with just a few evolutionary tweaks, we might not

(20:54):
be the planet's undisputed masters of strategy and cooperation. In
the original Jurassic Park, when game warden Robert Muldoon Bob
Peck utters his famous final line, clever girl, just before
being ambushed by a raptor he didn't know was there,

(21:14):
He's expressing a hunter's respect for an adversary that outthought him.
It's this moment, perhaps more than any other, that cemented
the Velociraptor's place in movie monster history. The acknowledgment that
sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted, not through bad luck
or superior strength, but because the prey was smarter. The

(21:39):
velociraptors of the Jurassic franchise also tap into our complex
relationship with predators. Humans have an innate fear of being
preyed upon, a evolutionary legacy of our ancestors, vulnerable position
in food webs, but also a fascination with and respect
for apex predator. The franchise's raptors, particularly Blue in the

(22:04):
later films, embody this duality. We fear them, but we're
also drawn to them, captivated by their power and precision.
There's also something distinctly modern about the raptor as a
movie monster. Unlike the giant monsters of nineteen fifty cinema
or the supernatural slashes of nineteen eighties horror, the velociraptor

(22:27):
represents a scientifically plausible threat brought about by human technological
overreach genetic engineering, creating predators we can't control. In an
era of increasing concern about biotechnology and its potential consequences,
this aspect of the raptor narrative resonates with contemporary anxieties. Finally,

(22:52):
the velociraptor's evolution across the franchise from pure antagonist to
complex character with relationship, ships and emotions. Reflects our growing
understanding of animal cognition and sentience. As scientific research reveals
ever more sophisticated behaviors and emotional lives in creatures from

(23:14):
crows to octopuses, the idea of dinosaurs with rich inner
lives seems less far fetched than it might have decades ago.
So the next time you hear that distinctive barking call
or the tap of claws on a kitchen floor in
a Jurassic film, remember you're experiencing multiple layers of terror.

(23:36):
The primal fear of being hunted, the modern anxiety about
technological hubris, and the existential unease of confronting a mind
different from yet unsettlingly similar to our own. In the clever,
calculating gaze of the velociraptor, we see not just a monster,
but a mirror reflecting our own predatory nature and the

(23:59):
thin veneer of civilization that separates us from the ancient
rhythms of predator and prey. Thank you for joining us
on this journey through the fascinating world of velociraptors. Until
next time, keep exploring the wonderful and terrifying creatures that
capture our hearts and minds. And occasionally haunt our nightmares. Monsters,

(24:25):
Sharks and Dinosaurs is a production of Calorogus Shark Media
executive producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this
podcast may have been created with the assistance of AI