Utahraptor vs Velociraptor
A detailed side-by-side comparison of Utahraptor and Velociraptor, covering size, diet, classification, geologic period, and discovery history.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Property | Utahraptor | Velociraptor |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Utahraptor ostrommaysi | Velociraptor mongoliensis |
| Classification | Dromaeosauridae | Dromaeosauridae |
| Period | Cretaceous Early | Cretaceous Late |
| Diet | Carnivore | Carnivore |
| Length | 5.5 m | 2.0 m |
| Height | 1.8 m | 0.5 m |
| Weight | 500 kg | 15 kg |
| Discovery Year | 1993 | 1924 |
| Discovery Location | Arches National Park, Utah, USA | Gobi Desert, Mongolia |
| Named By | James Kirkland et al. | Henry Fairfield Osborn |
Size Comparison
roughly the length of a large SUV
about the size of a human adult
Weight Comparison
about 7 adult humans
lighter than a human adult
Timeline Comparison
Diet Comparison
Utahraptor
CarnivoreUtahraptor was a meat-eating predator, hunting other animals for food.
Velociraptor
CarnivoreVelociraptor was a meat-eating predator, hunting other animals for food.
Classification Comparison
Utahraptor
Velociraptor
Both dinosaurs share a common ancestor within the Dromaeosauridae clade.
Key Differences
- Utahraptor (5.5 m, ~500 kg) was about 30× heavier and nearly three times longer than Velociraptor (~15 kg, 2 m).
- Utahraptor's sickle claw reached 22 cm; Velociraptor's was proportionally large but on a much smaller animal.
- Utahraptor is the real-world closest match to the oversized raptors in Jurassic Park.
- Utahraptor lived in the Early Cretaceous of North America; Velociraptor in the Late Cretaceous of Asia.
- Both were dromaeosaurids and shared feathered integument, pack-like social behavior, and high agility.
Did You Know?
Utahraptor was about 2.8x longer than Velociraptor.
Utahraptor weighed roughly 33x more than Velociraptor.
Both Utahraptor and Velociraptor were carnivores.
Utahraptor lived during the Cretaceous Early while Velociraptor lived during the Cretaceous Late, separated by roughly 0 million years.
Velociraptor was discovered 69 years earlier, in 1924.
Both belong to the Dromaeosauridae clade, making them relatively close relatives.
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