Deinonychus Size report

Deinonychus is a genus of dromaeosaurids that lived in the middle Apdian stage to the early Cretaceous, about 115-108 million years ago. Its scientific name comes from the very large, sickle-shaped claws on the second toe of its hind limbs. Paleontologists thought Deinonychus used its sickle claws to cut prey, but recent tests of reconstructed models of Deinonychus have shown that the claws were used for jabs.

In the 1930s, scientists discovered that Deinonychus from Mongolia was the most terrifying and deadly carnivorous dinosaur during the Cretaceous period. Deinonychus has a smaller body, but its predation methods and methods are much more sophisticated than the bulky Tyrannosaurus Rex.

What is known about these dinosaurs is they had all the tools they needed to be aggressive predators. An interesting thing about these dinosaurs is that they are the real model of Velociraptors in the movie Jurassic Park. You will learn more interesting facts about Deinonychus by reading the following post.

Deinonychus General Descriptions

Deinonychus was first discovered in 1931 near the town of Billings, Montana by Barnum Brown. And then, fossils of Deinonychus have been found in parts of Wyoming and Oklahoma as well. Although Deinonychus was first discovered in‭ ‬1931,‭ ‬it would not be until the‭ ‬1960s with the advent of more discoveries that it would get named and studied in detail. The similarity of the Deinonychus to a modern bird caused scientists to develop the theory that birds are indeed descendants of dinosaurs. It is believed by some scientists that these dinosaurs did have feathers like modern birds.

Deinonychus Appearance

More and more complete fossils of Deinonychus and its close relatives have been found, revealing that its skull had strong jaws with about 60 curved, blade-shaped teeth. As the member of the dromaeosaur group, Deinonychus was bipedal, walking on two legs, as did all theropod dinosaurs. Its principal killing devices were large sicklelike talons 13 cm (5 inches) long on the second toe of each foot. The slender, outstretched tail was enclosed in bundles of bony rods. These extensions of the tail vertebrae were ideal for helping the animal maintain balance as it ran or attacked prey.

Average Size

According to the largest specimen of Deinonychus, it could reach a hip height of 3 feet, a length of 8-12 feet and a weight of approximately 150-160 pounds when Deinonychus lived, with a skull up to 41 centimeters long.

Predatory Behavior

Biologist speculated that Deinonychus might have lived and hunted in packs and may have fed on Tenontosaurus. Deinonychus had three long talons on its forelimbs, and its wrists were more flexible than other carnivores. It was evidently a fast, agile predator whose large brain enabled it to perform relatively complex movements during the chase and kill. Deinonychus can jump on the prey, pierce the neck quickly and powerfully with its sickle-like claws, and dige out the internal organs of the prey.

Qucik Facts

Conclusion

Dromaeosaurs and troodontids are the closest known relatives of Archaeopteryx and existing birds. These dinosaurs share with birds many features, including unusually long arms and hands and a wrist that can flex sideways. Almost all archaeological finds prove that Deinonychus was a very agile predator. Deinonychus fossil discovery and scientific modeling inspire the theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs. It is believed that more paleontological discoveries will soon reveal the secrets of biological evolution.