Two Hunters on the Run

About this drawing

The image of hunting velociraptors working as a team has become a pop culture classic, but what do the fossils actually say? The idea of raptors surrounding prey like a wolf pack is thrilling. The truth is murkier, and scientists have been arguing about it for decades.

There are some clues in favor. In Montana, the remains of a larger relative called Deinonychus were found around a big plant eater named Tenontosaurus. Trackways in China and the United States also show dromaeosaurs walking side by side, so at least some of them traveled together.

Other research pumps the brakes. Chemical analysis of Deinonychus teeth shows young and adults ate different things, a pattern more typical of solitary reptiles than an organized pack. Several animals may have just turned up at the same meal and squabbled over it, the way Komodo dragons do today.

For velociraptor itself, there's no direct proof of group hunting. Still, it had what it took to be a dangerous predator: sharp eyesight, quick reflexes and a lot of agility. Maybe some worked in pairs, or simply shared the same hunting grounds. Every new fossil adds a bit more to the story, and this question is still wide open.

• dinosaurs
• velociraptor
• hunting
• animal behavior