The first remains of Deinonychus were found in 1931 by Barnum Brown, but he was never able to fully examine and prepare the remains he found next to a large plant-eating dinosaur named Tenontosaurus. In 1969, John Ostrom returned to the site and was able to uncover remains of several specimens he would name “Deinonychus”. Deinonychus remains have been found in Montana and Wyoming, in areas that would have been swamps or floodplains in the Early Cretaceous Period, about 110 million years ago. It was believed to have hunted larger animals, possibly in packs. There is some debate about whether its large foot claws were used for slashing prey or for helping to pin it down so it could deliver a killing bite. The discovery of Deinonychus helped to revolutionize how many viewed dinosaurs. Previously believed to be mostly large, slow and lumbering reptiles, Deinonychus showed that they could also be small, agile and quick hunters. It helped promote the idea that dinosaurs were likely warm-blooded, rather than cold-blooded like today’s reptiles.
8.75" L x 3.44" H (22.23 L x 8.74 H cm)
1:14 Scale
