A pack of velociraptors in a modern ecosystem, that would be pretty horrible, right?

So there's been some industrial espionage committed against T-Rex Forever LLC. The method for how they acquired their T-Rexes has been stolen. Terrible Lizards Inc has acquired a mated pair of Velociraptors and a mated pair of Deinonychus using the same mysterious technique.

Note that the Jurrasic Park depiction of Velociraptors are actually Deinonychus in everything but name. We'll be using the scientifically accurate names and description in this question.

Given that the T-Rex' from T-Rex Forever died out because the juveniles couldn't reach maturity fast enough to compete with other apex predators, the owners of Terrible Lizards believe that Velociraptors and Deinonychus could survive in a modern ecosystem. They reason that the smaller size compared to a T-Rex will help them get to maturity faster and thus compete with comparable predators in that size bracket.

Which species is more likely to survive and become invasive when released into the wilds of Costa Rica; a small group of Velociraptor mongoliensis or a single pack of Deinonychus antirrhopus? If these species would die out as well, why? The velociraptors have an advantage in their smaller size and reproduction rate but Deinonychus have an advantage in their pack behaviors.

Worrying about metabolic or infectious diseases that these dinosaurs might catch or infect modern animals with is out of scope. Whatever group behaviors and instincts these dinosaurs had in the Cretaceous Period, they have them now. Humans are hands-off thus far.

posted almost 7 years ago

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