Dromaeosauridae
From EvoWiki
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Dromaeosauridae (sensu Ostrom 1990) is an extinct family of intelligent dinosaurs known as the raptors. The Dromaeosauridae span the cretaceous period.
Common ancestor of Deinonychus + Velociraptor, and all descendant taxa.
Autapomorphies of Dromaeosauridae as outlined by Ostrom in 1990 are no longer reliable in light of new fossil evidence. In particular, the semilunate carpal and sternocostal articulations are probably symplesiomorphic of Paraves.
JGK
