Shri rapax: New Velociraptor Relative with Razor-Sharp Claws and Powerful Hands Described from Mongolia’s Gobi Desert

In a July 2025 Historical Biology paper, paleontologists led by Léa Moutrille (Royal Belgian Insтιтute of Natural Sciences) have named Shri rapax, a striking new velociraptorine dromaeosaur from the Late Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation of the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. The exquisitely preserved skeleton—roughly 2 meters long and recovered from poachers—reveals a raptor unlike any previously known, with mᴀssively robust hands and exceptionally long sickle claws that suggest a specialized hunting style centered on grip strength rather than slashing feet alone.

Dating to 75–71 million years ago, Shri rapax lived alongside Velociraptor mongoliensis in a dune-and-lake landscape. Yet its anatomy diverges dramatically: the hands are far stockier, with middle hand claws exceeding three inches—nearly twice the length of Velociraptor’s. The name “rapax” (Latin for “rapacious”) highlights these predatory features. The fossil’s powerful forelimbs and potentially stronger bite indicate it tackled prey differently, possibly gripping and subduing larger or struggling victims.

This discovery underscores niche parтιтioning among velociraptorines. While Velociraptor relied on its famous foot sickle, Shri combined oversized hand claws with a robust build, allowing coexistence without direct compeтιтion. The specimen’s near-complete postcranium—minus the missing skull—offers rare insight into dromaeosaur diversity just before the end-Cretaceous extinction.

“This raptor shows that even closely related species evolved strikingly different weapons,” noted co-author Andrea Cau. Poached before 2010 and rescued from the black market, the fossil also spotlights ongoing threats to Mongolian heritage.

Shri rapax proves the Gobi’s raptors were far more varied—and ᴅᴇᴀᴅly—than Hollywood ever imagined.