Deinonychus: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 16:01, 24 April 2006

Revision as of 16:04, 24 April 2006

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| name = ''Deinonychus''

| status = {{StatusFossil}}

| image = Deinonychus-antirrhopus jconwayDeinonychus_skull.jpg

| image_width = 200px

| image_caption = The skull of a deinonychus

| image_caption = ''Deinonychus antirrhopus'' by paleoartist John Conway showing the birdlike nature of dromaeosaurs

| regnum = [[Animal]]ia

| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]

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'''''Deinonychus''''' (pronounced {{IPA|/dai.ˈna.ni.kəs/}}, or approximately "dyn-ON-ik-us") meaning "terrible claw" ([[Greek language|Greek]] ''δεινος'' = terrible + ''ονυξ/ονυξος'' = claw) was a jaguar-sized, carnivorous [[dromaeosaurid]] [[dinosaur]] [[species]] from the Early [[Cretaceous]] Clovery Formation of [[Montana]]. Its name refers to the huge, sickle-shaped talons on the second toe, which were probably held retracted while the dinosaur walked on the third and fourth toes. It was commonly thought that ''Deinonychus'' would kick with the sickle claws to slash at its prey, but recent tests on reconstructions of similar ''[[Velociraptor]]'' talons suggest that the claw was used to stab, not slash. Like with all dromaeosaurids the tail was stiffened by a series of ossified tendons. This might have given ''Deinonychus'' greater balance and turning ability.

==Discoveries==

[[Image:Deinonychus_skullDeinonychus-antirrhopus jconway.jpg|left|150px|thumb|The''Deinonychus skullantirrhopus'' ofby apaleoartist John Conway showing the birdlike nature of deinonychusdromaeosaurs]]

Based on the association of a number of ''Deinonychus'' skeletons in a single quarry — several hundred ''Deinonychus'' bones were discovered by paleontologist [[John Ostrom]] and Grant E. Meyer in [[1964]] in southern [[Montana]] — it has been speculated that ''Deinonychus'' lived in packs. This is quite possible, but it is impossible to prove or disprove this idea. Shed teeth of ''Deinonychus'' are often found alongside skeletons of the ornithopod dinosaur ''[[Tenontosaurus]]'', indicating that it fed on them, and perhaps hunted them. John Ostrom named and described ''Deinonychus'', and the discovery of this clearly active, agile predator did much to change the scientific (and popular) conception of dinosaurs and open the door to speculation that dinosaurs may have been [[warm-blooded]].

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==Popular culture==

[[Image:Velociraptor222.jpg|left|180px200px|thumb|The ''Velociraptor'' from the movie [[Jurassic Park]] were actually modeled after ''Deinonychus''.]]

While ''Deinonychus'' itself never appeared in any of the ''[[Jurassic Park]]'' books or films, the supposed ''Velociraptor'' in the films actually more closely resemble ''Deinonychus'' in size and shape. This was due to the fact that [[Gregory S. Paul]], in his book ''Predatory Dinosaurs of the World'' concluded that ''Deinonychus'' was a species of ''Velociraptor'' and rechristened the species ''Velociraptor antirrhopus'', a theory that has since been largely debunked. [[Michael Crichton]] continued to [[synonymy|synonymize]] the two genera in his novels, on which the first two films were based.