DEINONYCHUS
Deinonychus antirrhopus
Meaning: "Terrible Claw"
📊 STATS
Size comparison:
About as long as a bicycle!
📖 ABOUT DEINONYCHUS
Meet Deinonychus, the 'Terrible Claw'! This speedy dinosaur was a clever hunter with a secret weapon: a huge, curved claw on each foot!
Deinonychus, which means "terrible claw," was a fearsome predator that roamed North America during the Early Cretaceous period. Imagine a super-smart, bird-like dinosaur about the size of a large dog, but much more dangerous! Deinonychus was a member of the Dromaeosauridae family, which means it was related to other famous raptors. What made Deinonychus so special? Well, it had a large, sickle-shaped claw on each foot that it used to slash at its prey. It wasn't just for show; these claws were incredibly sharp and deadly! Deinonychus was a fast runner, reaching speeds of up to 40 km/h. Scientists believe they hunted in packs, working together to take down larger dinosaurs. They likely ate anything they could catch, from small reptiles to larger herbivores. Deinonychus's discovery helped change the way we think about dinosaurs, showing they could be intelligent, agile, and even warm-blooded!
🔬 CLASSIFICATION
- Group
- Theropoda
- Family
- Dromaeosauridae
- Period
- Early Cretaceous (145-100 Ma)
- Era
- 115.0 - 108.0 million years ago
🗺️ DISCOVERY
- Year
- 1964
- Discovered by
- John Ostrom
- Location
- Montana, USA
- Fossils found in
- USA (Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Maryland)
🎨 SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION
Artistic reconstruction of Deinonychus based on fossil evidence
🗺️ WHERE FOSSILS WERE FOUND
USA (Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Maryland)
🤓 FUN FACTS
- ✨ Deinonychus had a special 'switchblade' claw that it could retract to keep it sharp!
- ✨ Scientists think Deinonychus might have had feathers!
- ✨ Deinonychus lived at the same time as some of the first flowering plants!
- ✨ The discovery of Deinonychus inspired the raptors in the movie 'Jurassic Park'!
- ✨ Deinonychus means 'terrible claw' because of the huge claw on its foot!
💡 DID YOU KNOW?
Get this: Deinonychus's brain was surprisingly large for its size! This means it was probably one of the smartest dinosaurs around, able to solve problems and hunt effectively.
