THE DEINONYCHSAURIAN DINOSAURS
DINE-oh-KIRE-us
Terrible hand
Saurischia: Deinonychosauria
Deinocheirus is one of the most amazing dinosaur
fossils known. It is a pair of huge arms and nothing else. Each
arm was 8.5ft (2,6m) long. Each hand had only three fngers, and
these all had powerful claws. The claws themselves were each
about 10in (25cm) long, the size of a butcher's heavy chopping
knife. If the arms belonged to a meat-eating dinosair of a normal
shape, it would have been unbelively huge. We cannnot even guess
what the whole animal looked like.
DIE-no-NIKE-us
Terrible claw
Saurischia: Deinonychosauria
Early Cretaceous
Western USA
Deinonychus was one of the most interesting dinosaurs
discovered in the 1960s. It was represented by well-preserved
skeletons and these allowed detailed restoraction. Deinonychus
was 10-13ft (3-4m) long, and was larger than its relatives
dromaeosaurus and velociraptor. Deinonychus had strong grasping
fingers on its hands. Its most remarkable feature was the large
curved scythe-like claws on the second toe of the foot. The other
toes had shorter claws. When Deinonychus ran it flicked the big
claw back and placed the shorter toes on the ground. Deinonychus
used its big claw to attack other dinosaurs. It would have
balanced on one foot on order to swing the claw to open the belly
of its prey. Its tail was stiffened by long rods of bone.
DROME-ee-oh-SAW-rus
Swift reptile
Saurischia: Deinonychosauria
Late Cretaceous
Alberta, Canda
Dromaeosaurus was a small and very active dinosaur. It
was similar to deinonychus and had a special sharp claw on its
foot for attacking other dinosaurs. Dromaeosaurus was smaller
than Deinonychus: it was only 6ft. (1.8m) long, and it could have
just looked a ten-year-old child in the eye if it stood up
straight. Dromaeosaurus was a fierce little meat-eater. It was
intelligent and quick moving, and may have eaten lizards,
turtels, and baby dinosaur. It is only known from a skull and odd
bones of the skeleton.
EE-te-MIR-us
Itemir (where found)
Saurischia: ? Deinonychosauria
Late Cretaceous
Central Asia
Itemirus was lightly built, agile meat eating
dinousaur. It is not very well known, however. It was named from
a braincase discovered in 1976, which is suposed to be like the
braincases of dromaeosaurus and tyrannosaurus.
NOE-a-SAW-rus
Northwestern Argentina reptile
Saurischia: ?Deinonychosauria
Late Cretaceous
Argentina
Noasaurus was a medium-sized hunter. It had a fierce
hooked claw on its foor, just as in deinonychus and
dromaeosaurus, and it used this to attack other dinosaurs.
Noasaurus was named in 1980, and it turned out to have a skull
that it turned out to have a skull that is rather diffrent from
that of Deinonychus. It was 10ft (3m) long.
Sawr-OR-nith-OID-eez
Bird-like reptile
Saurischia. ?Deinonychosauria
Late Cratecous
Mongolia
Saurornithoides is a poorly known agile and
intelligent meat-eater. Saurornithoides was smalll and had
a long low head with smalll sharp teeth. It had large eyes and a
very big brain for a reptile. The largebrain allowed Saurornithoides
to act and move quickly and to behave more intelligenzly than
other dinosaurs.
STEN-oh-NIKE-o-SAW-rus
Narrow-clawed reptile
Saurischia: Deinonychosauria
Late Cratecous
Alberta, Canada
Stenonychosaurus was probably the most intelligent
dinosaur. It was a very lightly built animal, about 6.5ft (2m)
long, and with long slender legs and a long tail. It had fairly
long arms with thin fingers. Stenonychosaurus was an agile
and fast-moving meat-eater. The most interesting feature of this
animal is in its head. It had very large eyes and a large brain,
equivalent to a bird of the same size. Stenonychosaurus was
an active, intelligent hunter with good senses and quick reflexes.
THER-ih-zin-oh-SAW-rus
Scythe reptile
Saurischia: ?Deinonychosauria
Late Cratecous
Southern Mongolia
Therizinosaurus was named around 1980’s from a
huge arm with fierce claws found in Mongolia. The arm was about 8ft.
(2.5m) long, and a single scythe-like claw was 28in. (70cm)
around its outer curve. That makes the claw alone the size of a
scythe used for cutting long grass, but the Therizinosaurus
was much heavier. This dinosaur may be related to deinocherius.
Vel-OS-i-RAP-tor
Swift robber
Saurischia: Deinonychosauria
Late Cratecous
Mongolia
Velociraptor was a lightly built medium-sized meat-eater.
Velociraptor had a long low skull, with a very flat snout.
It had long arms and slender legs. One toe of each foot was large
and scythelike, as in deinonychus and dromaeosaurus. In 1971 a
specimen of Velociraptor was found that had died while
attacking a protoceratops. Velociraptor had a firm hold of
the head shield of protoceratops and was kicking at the belly
with its huge foot-claw. Protoceratops had pierced the chest
region of Velociraptor with its armored head. They must
have killed each other at the same time. Velociraptor has
raised its popularity in the middle 1990s when a blockbuster
motion picture was made about dinosaurs. The leading dinosaur
roles were a Tyrannosaurus Rex and two Velociraptors.
