New “Raptor”-type dinosaur discovered on the Isle of Wight!

Vectiraptor Restoration
Vectiraptor Restoration

Meet Vectiraptor, the latest dinosaur recovered from the Isle of Wight.

Vectiraptor greeni (Green’s Vectis Thief, after Mick Green, island fossil hunter who discovered the original fossils in 2004) was a theropod dinosaur similar in size and shape to Deinonychus, the inspiration for the Jurassic park “Velociraptors” (actual Velociraptors were much smaller, but at time of original publication there were some who erroneously claimed Velociraptor and Deinonychus were synonymous)

This is not the only dromaeosaur known from the Isle of Wight, Ornithodesmus and Yaverlandia are also closely related, and several teeth were reported in 2004.