馳龍科的獨特身體架構,有助於恐龍是種活躍且快速動物的理論,以及鳥類是恐龍的一種的理論。在羅伯特·巴克(Robert T. Bakker)替約翰·奧斯特倫姆(John Ostrom)的1969年專題論文所做的圖解中[4],將恐爪龍描繪成快速奔跑的姿態,這成為史上最具影響力的古生物學重建圖[5]。馳龍科具有大型頭部、鋸齒邊緣牙齒、狹窄口鼻部、眼睛向前,顯示具有一定程度的立體視覺[6]。如同大部分的獸腳類恐龍,馳龍科的頸部長,呈S狀彎曲,身體相當短。牠們的手臂長,某些物種的手臂可以在胸前交叉,手部相當大,上有三根長手指,第一指最短,第二指最長,手指上有大型指爪[7]。恥骨末端大,往尾巴基部延伸。第二腳趾上有大型、彎曲趾爪。尾巴修長,尾椎長而低平,第14節尾椎之後缺乏橫突(Transverse process)與神經棘[7]。
目前至少兩派研究人員提出馳龍科是從可飛行的祖先演化而來。其中一派主張鳥類先演化出現,喬治·奧利舍夫斯基(George Olshevsky)被認為是這理論的首位提出者[29]。葛瑞格利·保羅(Gregory S. Paul)則提出許多證據,指出馳龍科演化自會飛行的恐龍,可能類似始祖鳥。根據此理論,體型較大的馳龍科是在演化過程中失去飛行能力,如同紐西蘭的已滅絕恐鳥、以及鴕鳥[22]。在1988年,保羅提出馳龍科與現代鳥類的關係,比始祖鳥與現代鳥類的關係更為接近。但在2002年,保羅改提出馳龍科是始祖鳥的最近親[30]。
在1970年,約翰·奧斯特倫姆曾參考鴕鳥與食火雞,發現這些鳥類會用較大型的第二趾爪攻擊獵物,進而產生恐爪龍會利用第二趾爪攻擊獵物的理論[4]。食火雞的第二趾爪可長達12.5公分[40]。奧斯特倫姆並引用一個1958年的鳥類論文,認為後肢與第二趾爪,可用來將獵物的身體撕開、將內臟挖出[41]。在近年,Chhristopher P. Kofron研究241件食火雞的攻擊紀錄,發現總計有1個人類、2隻狗的被攻擊死亡案例,但沒有證據顯示食火雞會用第二趾爪將獵物的內臟挖出[42][43]。相反地,食火雞將趾爪作為防衛武器,攻擊對牠們產生威脅的動物、或威嚇對方[40]叫鶴也具有較大的第二趾爪,卻是用在撕裂小型獵物,以適合吞嚥[44]。
1993年的電影《侏儸紀公園》中所出現的伶盜龍,體型比該屬所發現最大的標本還大。实际上,这些“迅猛龙”是其近亲恐爪龙。
葛瑞格利·保羅(Gregory S. Paul)在他的書籍《Predatory Dinosaurs of the World》中,將恐爪龍列為伶盜龍的一種,並將該種命名為平衡伶盜龍(Velociraptor antirrhopus)[22],這個分類法後來遭到普遍地否決[7][73][74]。麥克·克萊頓將這个观点寫入他的《侏儸紀公園》系列小說當中,採用葛瑞格利·保羅的說法,并被应用到电影当中。在電影《侏儸紀公園》中出現的馳龍科恐龍,在當時是正確的描述,但現在看來則有許多方面是錯誤的,包含缺乏羽毛。但在《侏儸紀公園III》中則將這個錯誤糾正回來。
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