Open Paleo

Velociraptorinae

Barsbold, 1983 Type genus Velociraptor

Its genera lived 85.7–66.0 million years ago Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Velociraptorinae is a subfamily of eudromaeosaurian dromaeosaurid dinosaurs, traditionally comprising the more slender, narrow-snouted species and centered on Velociraptor and its close relatives. Its members are found primarily in Asia and include such genera as Tsaagan, Kuru, and Adasaurus, though several North American forms have also been assigned to it, including Acheroraptor (Evans and colleagues, 2013), Dineobellator (Jasinski and colleagues, 2020) and possibly Deinonychus (Napoli and colleagues, 2021). Velociraptorine teeth are often distinguished by having larger serrations along the rear edge than the front, or by lacking front serrations altogether. It is one of three major eudromaeosaurian subgroups, and while widely used, its exact composition is contentious: recent analyses move Achillobator and Utahraptor into Velociraptorinae and place Deinonychus in either it or Dromaeosaurinae (Bindellini and colleagues, 2025). Velociraptorines appear in the Late Cretaceous, and the bulk of their diversity, including the famous Velociraptor itself, is known from Asia.

Diagnosis

  1. Long, low, and narrow snout
  2. Dorsally deflected caudal margin of the dentary
  3. Elongate maxillary and dentary tooth rows with numerous teeth

Genera placed directly in Velociraptorinae

  • Adasaurus Barsbold, 1983 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Mongoliaunder dispute
  • Dineobellator Jasinski et al., 2020 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)United Statesunder dispute
  • Kansaignathus Averianov & Lopatin, 2021 Santonian (85.7–83.6 Ma)Tajikistanunder dispute
  • Kuru Napoli et al., 2021 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Mongolia
  • Linheraptor Xu et al., 2010 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Chinaunder dispute
  • Luanchuanraptor Lü et al., 2007 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Chinaunder dispute
  • Shri Turner et al., 2021 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Mongolia
  • Tsaagan Norell et al., 2006 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Mongolia
  • Velociraptor Osborn, 1924 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Mongoliaunder dispute

References

  1. Barsbold, R. (1983). Khishchnye dinozavry mela Mongolii [Carnivorous dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Mongolia]. Trudy - Sovmestnaya Sovetsko-Mongol'skaya Paleontologicheskaya Ekspeditsiya 19: 1-117. barsbold1983a
  2. Evans, D. C.; Larson, D. W.; Currie, P. J. (2013). A new dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) with Asian affinities from the latest Cretaceous of North America. Naturwissenschaften 100(11): 1041-1049. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1007/s00114-013-1107-5

    Described Acheroraptor and recovered it within Velociraptorinae.

    evans2013a
  3. Jasinski, S. E.; Sullivan, R. M.; Dodson, P. (2020). New Dromaeosaurid Dinosaur (Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae) from New Mexico and Biodiversity of Dromaeosaurids at the end of the Cretaceous. Scientific Reports 10(1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-61480-7

    Described Dineobellator and recovered it within Velociraptorinae.

    jasinski2020a
  4. Napoli, J. G.; Ruebenstahl, A. A.; Bhullar, B. A. S.; Turner, A. H.; Norell, M. A. (2021). A New Dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Coelurosauria) from Khulsan, Central Mongolia. American Museum Novitates 2021(3982). American Museum of Natural History (BioOne sponsored). doi:10.1206/3982.1

    Described a new velociraptorine, noting recent analyses that include Deinonychus in Velociraptorinae.

    napoli2021a
  5. Bindellini, G.; Moscarella, A.; Makovicky, P.; Manucci, F.; Romano, M. (2025). Velociraptor: the state of the art 100 years after the discovery of this iconic dinosaur. Italian Journal of Geosciences 144(3): 460-486. doi:10.3301/IJG.2025.22

    Noted that recent analyses move Achillobator and Utahraptor into Velociraptorinae and recover Deinonychus in either subfamily.

    bindellini2025a