the predatory ecology of deinonychus and the origin of flapping in birds恐爪龙的掠夺性生态学和扑在鸟类的起源.pdfVIP

The Predatory Ecology of Deinonychus and the Origin of Flapping in Birds 1 1 1 2 Denver W. Fowler *, Elizabeth A. Freedman , John B. Scannella , Robert E. Kambic 1 Museum of the Rockies and Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America, 2 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of Ameria Abstract Most non-avian theropod dinosaurs are characterized by fearsome serrated teeth and sharp recurved claws. Interpretation of theropod predatory ecology is typically based on functional morphological analysis of these and other physical features. The notorious hypertrophied ‘killing claw’ on pedal digit (D) II of the maniraptoran theropod Deinonychus (Paraves: Dromaeosauridae) is hypothesized to have been a predatory adaptation for slashing or climbing, leading to the suggestion that Deinonychus and other dromaeosaurids were cursorial predators specialized for actively attacking and killing prey several times larger than themselves. However, this hypothesis is problematic as extant animals that possess similarly hypertrophied claws do not use them to slash or climb up prey. Here we offer an alternative interpretation: that the hypertrophied D-II claw of dromaeosaurids was functionally analogous to the enlarged talon also found on D-II of extant Accipitridae (hawks and eagles; one family of the birds commonly known as ‘‘raptors’’). Here, the talon is used to maintain grip on prey of subequal body size to the predator, while the victim is pinned down by the body weight of the raptor and dismembered by the beak. The foot of Deinonychus exhibits morphology