Deinonychus

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Deinonychus was a lightly built, fast-moving, bird-like dinosaur. This agile, biped (it walked on two legs) was a meat-eater and was built to kill; it had large, sickle-like toe claws. Deinonychus lived during the retaceous period, about !!" to !"" million years ago. Anatomy# Deinonychus had a curved, fle$ible neck and a big head with sharp, serrated teeth in very powerful %aws. &ach of its three fingers on each hand had large, sharp, curved claws. 't had four-toed feet; the second toe had a (-inch (!)-cm) sickle-like claw, and the other toes had smaller claws. 'ts long tail had bony rods running along the spine, giving it rigidity; the tail was used for balance and fast turning ability. Deinonychus had a relatively large brain and large, keen eyes. This dromaeosaurid theropod had a relatively large brain for a dinosaur. Fossils and Name# Deinonychus was first found by *rant &. +eyer and ,ohn -. .strom in southern +ontana (in the western /nited 0tates) in !123. Deinonychus antirrhopus was named by .strum in !121. +ore than eight Deinonychus fossils have been found in +ontana, /tah, and 4yoming, /05.