Researchers have developed a new way to visualize how ancient animals moved as they roamed the Earth — starting with a Yale-discovered dinosaur’s sickle-clawed foot.

The new approach, which uses computer animation software to combine 3D models of fossil bones with information gleaned from X-ray videos of the moving joints of modern animal species, could change our understanding of how prehistoric creatures chased prey, swam coastal waterways, soared across the sky, climbed over difficult terrain, and ate breakfast.