Deinonychus
Deinonychus antirrhopus
Pronounced:
die - Non - ih - kiss
Diet:
Carnivore (Meat-Eater)
Name Means:
"Terrible Claw"
Length:
10 feet (3 m)
Height:
4 feet (1.2 m)
Weight:
110 pounds (50 kilos)
Time:
Early/Mid Cretaceous - 120
MYA
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur have been found in Western
North America
Deinonychus was a fast and vicious hunter. Its name means
"terrible claw," and it was given this name because of the
large, retractable hunting claw on each of its feet. Like its
cousin, the Velociraptor it used this claw to tear into
the flesh of the dinosaurs it hunted. The claw would snap
forward and make a large, deep wound when it attacked.
Deinonychus was about twice as big as Velociraptor
Deinonychus is probably the
best known of the dromeasaurids,
with nine specimens having been
discovered since the genus was
established in 1962 by John
Ostrum. An interesting feature
about this dinosaur is that its
teeth are more backward pointing
than other, larger theropods,
suggesting that they are
designed for feeding and not for
the killing of prey. This points
to the effectiveness of its hand
and foot claws as weapons. Its
skeletal design, according to
Ostrum, clearly points to a very
active predatory lifestyle - a
hunter with both speed and
agility. Its hands were very
large and had a great range of
movement and flexibility. As the
dinosaur grew, long tendons
along its tail hardened into a
bone-like material to stiffen it
and make it a useful mechanism
for maintaining balance and
direction in quick turns. A few
scientists have argued that
Deinonychus is a North American
species of
Velociraptor and does
not merit its own genus.
In his 1986 book The Dinosaur
Heresies, Dr. Robert Bakker puts
forth the view that Deinonychus
has many features found in birds
and might be considered either a
bird-like dinosaur or a
dinosaur-like bird. Recent
research and discoveries by
scientists such as Dr. Philip
Currie are showing that some
dinosaurs similar to Deinonychus
most likely had feather-like
coverings on all or part of
their bodies. These
proto-feathers were most likely
used for insulation, display, or
both, and may eventually have
evolved into flight feathers. To
date, these have not been found
on Deinonychus. |
