The Dinosaur - Troodon

It might have been small but the Troodon more than made up for this in smarts.

This bird-like dinosaur, with arms like wings that folded back, could have out-witted every other dinosaur around.

Scientists believe the Troodon was the smartest of all the dinosaurs as it had a very large brain compared to the size of its tiny 2 metre long body.

This bright spark also had large eyes which means it was a night owl who liked to roam and scavenge in the dark.

Its long, slender limbs suggest it was a fast runner, in fact faster than most other dinosaurs at the time.

On top of this it also had large, sickle shaped claws on its second toes which were raised off the ground when running. Only two toes actually touched the ground making for a very unusual footprint.

Scientists also believe it was probably covered in feathers. Add all that up and you have one strange-looking dinosaur!

Palaeontologists also think the Troodon had very good hearing which, together with its speed and agility, made it a good hunter. It had a taste for young dinosaurs that had only recently been hatched but was also fond of the eggs of other dinosaurs.

In 1982, palaeontologists discovered a fossilized Troodon brain and found it was very similar to modern bird brains. So it looks like small meat-eating dinosaurs and modern birds are closely related.