Deinonychosaurs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Deinonychosaurs Temporal range: Jurassic–Cretaceous
Deinonychus (large) and Buitreraptor (small), Field Museum of Natural History
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sauropsida
Order:	Saurischia
Suborder:	Theropoda
Infraorder:	Deinonychosauria Colbert & Russell, 1969
Families
Dromaeosauridae Troodontidae

The Deinonychosauria ("fearsome claw lizards") is a group of amazing bird-like theropod dinosaurs. They lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. These dinosaurs were known for their sharp claws and quick movements. The biggest known deinonychosaur was Utahraptor. The smallest was Anchiornis.

This group includes two main families of dinosaurs. Each family had its own special features.

Fierce Hunters: Dromaeosauridae

The Dromaeosauridae family includes some of the most famous and fearsome hunters. These are the "raptors" you might know from the movie Jurassic Park.

Some well-known members of this family are:

• Deinonychus
• Velociraptor
• Utahraptor

These dinosaurs were agile and had large, curved claws on their feet. They likely used these claws to hunt their prey.

Smart and Swift: Troodontidae

Troodontid dinosaurs lived later, during the Upper Cretaceous period. They were generally lighter and slimmer than the dromaeosaurids.

Examples of troodontids include:

• Troodon
• Saurornithoides

Troodontids were very closely related to birds. They had unusually large brains for dinosaurs, similar in size to some living birds that cannot fly. Their eyes were also big and faced forward. This gave them excellent binocular vision, which helped them see depth and hunt effectively.

Some fossils of troodontids, like Mei and Sinornithoides, show something very interesting. These dinosaurs would sleep or rest like birds, tucking their heads under their forelimbs. We also know that troodontids were fully feathered.

How Deinonychosaurs are Classified

Scientists use a system called cladistics to group animals based on their shared features. Deinonychosaurs are part of a larger group called Maniraptora. This group includes many bird-like dinosaurs and birds themselves.

Here is how Deinonychosauria fits into the dinosaur family tree:

• Clade Maniraptora
  • Infraorder Deinonychosauria
    • Family Troodontidae
    • Family Dromaeosauridae

Related Dinosaur Topics

• Origin of birds
• Paraves
• Dinosaur intelligence
• Dromaeosauridae
• Troodontidae
• Feathered dinosaurs

See also

In Spanish: Deinonychosauria para niños