Abstract: The osteology and integument of deinonychosaurs from the Jehol Group of western Liaoning are studied and a parsimonious phylogenetic analysis of the interrelationships of coelurosaurian dinosaurs is performed. This study: (1) provides the most detailed osteological and integumentary descriptions on Liaoning deinonychosaurs; (2) proposes an evolutionary model for feather evolution; (3) analyzes the interrelationships of the Coelurosauria; (4) evaluates the affect of combining information from different parts of the body in reconstructing coelurosaurian evolution, and (5) discusses the evolutionary trend within the Coelurosauria and particularly those features related to the origin of avian flight.

Key words: western Liaoning, Jehol Group, Deinonychosauria, Coelurosaurian evolution