Deinonychus

Deinonychus is a genus of medium dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur that lived approximately 115–108 million years ago during the later part of the Cretaceous Period.

Quotes

 * Although of modest size, this creature was one of the most unusual of all dinosaurs and provides entirely new insight on the classification of predaceous dinosaurs and on the surprisingly sophisticated capabilities possessed by some theropods.
 * John H. Ostrom (1969) Osteology of Deinonychus antirrhopus, an unusual theropod from the Lower Cretaceous of Montana, Peabody Museum of Natural History Bulletin 30:1-165


 * In my opinion, the foot of Deinonychus is perhaps the most revealing bit of anatomical evidence pertaining to dinosaur habits and capabilities to be discovered in many decades. Grandiose statements of this kind are, of course, easily rejected, but the functional implications of Deinonychus are not so easily discarded - especially in view of the other remarkable adaptations of this animal. Deinonychus must have been anything but reptilian in its behavior, responses and way of life. It must have been a fleet-footed, highly predaceous, extremely agile and very active animal, sensitive to many stimuli and quick in its responses. These in turn indicate and unusual level of activity from a reptile and suggest an unusually high metabolic rate.
 * John H. Ostrom (1969) Osteology of Deinonychus antirrhopus, an unusual theropod from the Lower Cretaceous of Montana, Peabody Museum of Natural History Bulletin 30:1-165


 * Put a leopard and Deinonychus together and the former would be in trouble.
 * Gregory S. Paul (1988) Predatory Dinosaurs of the World, Simon and Schuster, p. 362-363


 * Deinonychus is considered a medium dinosaur. But the largest individual was an eleven-foot-long animal whose head approached half a yard long, and was of male-timber-wolf mass. If alive today it would be considered a big predator.
 * Gregory S. Paul (1988) Predatory Dinosaurs of the World, Simon and Schuster, p. 367