Deinonychosauria

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Deinonychosaurs Fossil range: Jurassic-Cretaceous
Deinonychus skeleton at the Field Museum.
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") were a successful clade of theropods in the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. These carnivores are known for their switchblade-like second toes. The clade has been divided into two further clades — Dromaeosauridae and Troodontidae.

Dromaeosauridae includes some of the most fearsome killers of the Cretaceous Period: Deinonychus, Velociraptor, and Utahraptor. The largest known of these was possibly Utahraptor, and Microraptor was among the smallest (40 cm or 16 in).

Troodontids date from the late Cretaceous Period and were lighter and slimmer than the dromaeosaurids. Some of these were Troodon and Saurornithoides.

By some definitions, Deinonychosauria and Dromaeosauridae are synonyms.

[edit] Classification

• Clade Maniraptora
  • Clade Paraves/Eumaniraptora
    • Pedopenna
    • Infraorder Deinonychosauria
      • Family Troodontidae
      • Family Dromaeosauridae