Velociraptor Is a Cling On Bird of Prey
	Posted 21 Oct 2005 at 04:57 UTC by The Swirling Brain

It's said that the Velociraptor is a bird-like dino with claws used for supposedly slashing up its prey to disembowel its victims. However, scientists have tested that theory by using robotics and have found that instead the Velociraptor use their claws to cling on to their prey and likely bite a victim to death rather than claw it to death. Dr Phil Manning and his team, from the Manchester Museum, University of Manchester tested a robotic arm fitted with a life-like dromaeosaur claw made of Kevlar and carbon-fibre-coated aluminium to thrust it into the flesh of anything from pig to crocodile carcasses. Instead of producing the expected slashing wounds, the robotic impacts created only small, rounded punctures, therefore dispelling the assumption that the claws were used for slashing.

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Twofer!, posted 21 Oct 2005 at 12:55 UTC by jeffkoenig » (Master)

A pun *and* a Star Trek reference! Nicely done!

small rounded puncture wounds, posted 21 Oct 2005 at 14:43 UTC by steve » (Master)

Sounds like my cat. I never thought about it before but cat claws have a similar shape and they mostly produce puncture wounds too.

I'm a friend of Klingon , posted 21 Oct 2005 at 15:03 UTC by The Swirling Brain » (Master)

I have a friend named Cleon. Everyone calls him Klingon. Poor guy. It's sad for sure. His middle name is worse so he just deals with it. Cruel parents.