Deinonychosauria

Skull of Dromaeosaurus in the Geological Museum in Copenhagen

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The Deinonychosauria are a kinship group ( taxon ) within the theropod dinosaurs ( theropods ). To them, the Dromaeosauridae and Troodontidae be counted. Sister group are the Avialae (birds and immediate relatives ). However, some studies see the troodontids closer to the Paraves than the dromaeosaurs. In this case, the latter would be the only family of Deinonychosauria. The American paleontologist Paul Sereno defined it as the common ancestor of Dromaeosaurus and Troodon formosus albertensis and all its descendants. Kevin Padian, another American paleontologist, in the Deinonychosauria sees all forms that share a more recent ancestor antirrhopus as the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) with Deinonychus.

All Deinonychosauria have an enlarged " sickle claw" on the second toe. However, this feature also shows the basal Avialae (?) Rahonavis (also the Dromaeosauridae assigned ).

Cladogram:

Other taxa of theropods

Dromaeosauridae

Troodontidae

Avialae (birds and relatives)