Deinonychus vs Protoceratops

A detailed side-by-side comparison of Deinonychus and Protoceratops, covering size, diet, classification, geologic period, and discovery history.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Propriété Deinonychus Protoceratops
Nom scientifique Deinonychus antirrhopus Protoceratops andrewsi
Classification Dromaeosauridae Ceratopsia
Période Cretaceous Early Cretaceous Late
Alimentation Carnivore Herbivore
Longueur 3.4 m 1.8 m
Height 0.9 m 0.6 m
Poids 73 kg 83 kg
Année de découverte 1969 1923
Lieu de découverte Montana, USA Gobi Desert, Mongolia
Nommé par John Ostrom Walter Granger & W.K. Gregory

Size Comparison

Deinonychus 3.4 m

about the size of a human adult

Protoceratops 1.8 m

about the size of a human adult

Weight Comparison

Deinonychus 73 kg

about 1 adult humans

Protoceratops 83 kg

about 1 adult humans

Timeline Comparison

Deinonychus
145,0 Mya Cretaceous Early (Mesozoic) 100,5 Mya
Protoceratops
100,5 Mya Cretaceous Late (Mesozoic) 66,0 Mya

Diet Comparison

Deinonychus

Carnivore

Deinonychus was a meat-eating predator, hunting other animals for food.

Protoceratops

Herbivore

Protoceratops was a plant-eater, feeding on vegetation like ferns, conifers, and cycads.

Classification Comparison

Deinonychus

Clade: Theropoda

Group: Dromaeosauridae

(Raptors)

Protoceratops

Clade: Ornithischia

Group: Ceratopsia

(Horned faces)

Did You Know?

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Deinonychus was about 1.9x longer than Protoceratops.

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Deinonychus was a carnivore while Protoceratops was a herbivore.

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Deinonychus lived during the Cretaceous Early while Protoceratops lived during the Cretaceous Late, separated by roughly 0 million years.

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Protoceratops was discovered 46 years earlier, in 1923.

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Deinonychus belonged to Dromaeosauridae while Protoceratops belonged to Ceratopsia.

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