Editing Velociraptor (section)

===Skull===
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|image1=Velociraptor rostrum (holotype).png

|image2=Velociraptor holotype skull (labelled).png

|image3=Velociraptor dentary (holotype).png

|footer=''V. mongoliensis'' holotype skull (right), rostrum (left), and dentary (bottom)

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The skull of ''Velociraptor'' was rather elongated and grew up to {{convert|23|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. It was uniquely up-curved at the snout region, concave on the upper surface, and convex on the lower surface. The snout, which occupied about 60% of the entire skull length, was notably narrow and mainly formed by the nasal, premaxilla, and maxilla bones. The {{dinogloss|premaxilla}} was the anteriormost bone in the skull, and it was longer than taller. While its posterior end joined the nasal, the main body of the premaxilla touched the maxilla. The {{dinogloss|maxilla}} was nearly triangular in shape and the largest element of the snout. On its center or main body, there was a depression developing a small oval to circular-shaped hole, called maxillary fenestra. Though in front of this fenestra were two small openings, referred to as promaxillary fenestrae. The posterior border of the maxilla formed (predominantly) the antorbital fenestra, one of the several large holes in the skull. Both premaxilla and maxilla had several [[Dental alveolus|alveoli]] ([[tooth]] sockets) on their bottom surfaces. Above the maxilla and making contact with the premaxilla, there was the {{dinogloss|nasal}} bone. It was a thin/narrow and elongated bone contributing to the top surface of the snout. Together, both premaxilla and nasal bones gave form to the naris or narial fenestra (nostril opening), which was relatively large and circular. The posterior end of the nasal was joined by the frontal and lacrimal bones.<ref name=Sues1977>{{cite journal |last1=Sues|first1=H.-D.|date=1977|title=The skull of Velociraptor mongoliensis, a small Cretaceous theropod dinosaur from Mongolia|journal=Paläontologische Zeitschrift|volume=51|issue=3–4 |pages=173–184|doi=10.1007/BF02986567|bibcode=1977PalZ...51..173S |s2cid=128478862 }}</ref><ref name=barsboldosmolska1999>{{cite journal|last1=Barsbold|first1=R.|last2=Osmólska|first2=H.|date=1999|title=The skull of Velociraptor (Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia|journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica|volume=44|issue=2|pages=189–219|url=https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app44/app44-189.pdf|archive-date=14 July 2022|access-date=28 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714025149/https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app44/app44-189.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Velociraptor MPC-D 100 25 skull.png|thumb|left|Skull of MPC-D 100/25 ([[Fighting Dinosaurs]] individual), in lateral (A-C), top (B), bottom (D-E), and posterior (E) views]]
The back or anterior region of the skull was built by the frontal, lacrimal, postorbital, jugal, parietal, quadrate, and quadratojugal bones. The {{dinogloss|frontal}} was large element, having a vaguely rectangular shape when seen from above. On its posterior end, this bone was in contact with the {{dinogloss|parietal}}, and such elements were the main bodies of the [[skull roof]]. The {{dinogloss|lacrimal}} was a T-shaped bone and its main body was thin and delicated. Its lower end meet the {{dinogloss|jugal}} (often called cheek bone), which was a large, sub-triangular-shaped element. Its lower border was notably straight/horizontal. The {{dinogloss|postorbital}} was located just above the jugal: a stocky and strongly T-shaped bone. As a whole, the orbit or orbital fenestra (eye socket)—formed by the lacrimal, jugal, frontal, and postorbital—was large and near circular in shape, being longer than taller. When seen from above, a pair of large and markedly rounded holes were present near the rear of the skull (the temporal fenestrae), whose main components were the postorbital and squamosal. Behind the jugal, an inverted T-shaped bone (also seen in other dromaeosaurids), known as the {{dinogloss|quadratojugal}}, was developed. While the upper end of the quadratojugal joined the {{dinogloss|squamosal}}, an irregularly-shaped element, its inner side meet the {{dinogloss|quadrate}}. The latter was of great importance for the articulation with the lower jaw. The posteriormost bone was the {{dinogloss|occipital|occipital bone}} and its projection the [[occipital condyle]]: a rounded and bulbous protuberance that meet the first vertebra of the neck.<ref name=Sues1977/><ref name=barsboldosmolska1999/>
[[File:Velociraptor ZPAL MgD-I 97a tooth.png|thumb|140px|Isolated tooth of ZPAL MgD-I/97a]]
The lower jaw of ''Velociraptor'' comprised mainly the dentary, splenial, angular, surangular, and articular bones. The {{dinogloss|dentary}} was a very long, weakly curved, and narrow element that developed several alveoli on its top surface. On its posterior end, it meet the {{dinogloss|surangular}}. It had a small hole near its posterior end, called surangular foramen or fenestra. Both bones were the largest elements of the lower jaw of ''Velociraptor'', contributing to virtually its entire length. Below them were the smaller {{dinogloss|splenial}} and {{dinogloss|angular}}, closely articulated to each other. The {{dinogloss|articular}}, located on the inner side of the surangular, was a small element that joined the quadrate of the upper skull, enabling the articulation with the lower jaw. An elongated, near oval-shaped hole was developed in the center of the lower jaw (the mandibular fenestra), and it was produced by the joint of the dentary, surangular, and angular bones.<ref name=Sues1977/><ref name=barsboldosmolska1999/>

The teeth of ''Velociraptor'' were fairly [[homodont]] (equal in shape) and had several [[Denticle (tooth feature)|denticles]] (serrations), each more strongly serrated on the back edge than the front. The premaxilla had 4 alveoli (meaning that 4 teeth were developed), and the maxilla had 11 alveoli. At the dentary, between 14–15 alveoli were present. All teeth present at the premaxilla were poorly curved, and the two first teeth were the longest, with the second having a characteristic large size. The maxillary teeth were more slender, recurved, and most notably, the lower end was strongly more serrated than the upper one.<ref name=Sues1977/><ref name=barsboldosmolska1999/>