The terrible claw
The enlarged second-toe claw gave Deinonychus its name and was held off the ground during normal walking.
A REAL DINOSAUR. A SUSPICIOUSLY FAMILIAR PERSONALITY.
DEINONYCHUS.
Read the entire strategy guide.
You do your research, spot the pattern, and quietly become the person everyone needs. Your idea of spontaneity is a well-prepared contingency.
SIGNATURE MOVEHaving a spreadsheet for something that did not require one.
SPECIMEN 15 / EARLY CRETACEOUS
DEINONYCHUS ANTIRRHOPUS · CARNIVORE
DEINONYCHUS ANTIRRHOPUS · CARNIVOREFred Wierum · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
Meet the actual dinosaur THE ACTUAL SCIENCE STARTS HERE
Meet the real Deinonychus.
The jokes are ours.
The animal was very real.
- WHEN
- 115–108 million years ago
- ON THE MENU
- Carnivore
- LENGTH
- About 3–3.5 m
- BODY MASS
- About 60–100 kg
Dinosaur renaissance
John Ostrom's research on Deinonychus helped overturn the stereotype of dinosaurs as uniformly sluggish animals.
Bird connections
Its anatomy played a major role in renewed arguments that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs.
A reinforced tail
Long bony extensions supported the tail and helped maintain balance.
Tenontosaurus association
Deinonychus teeth and bones have been found with the larger herbivore Tenontosaurus, indicating feeding interactions.
Feathered reconstruction
Feathers are inferred from its position among feather-bearing relatives, even though direct plumage impressions are not known for this genus.
A little room for discovery.
Group feeding evidence does not settle whether Deinonychus hunted in coordinated packs like wolves.
Read more: Deinonychus on Wikipedia · Research and references. Facts are summarized in our own words. Size and date ranges are approximate; estimates vary by specimen and study. Gallery images may include other species within the genus.
A closer look.
Fossils, museum displays, and published reconstructions. Artwork shows an interpretation; it is not a photograph of a living dinosaur.
Is this your prehistoric alter ego?
Eight questions and an optional face scan will settle this. Very unofficially.