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Ornithomimosaurs
Ornithomimosauria ("bird-mimic lizards") are theropod dinosaurs which bore a superficial resemblance to the modern-day ostrich. They were fast, omnivorous or herbivorous dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period of Laurasia (now Asia, Europe and North America), as well as Africa and possibly Australia. The group first appeared in the Early Cretaceous and persisted until the Late Cretaceous. Primitive members of the group include ''Nqwebasaurus'', ''Pelecanimimus'', ''Shenzhousaurus'', ''Hexing'' and '' Deinocheirus'', the arms of which reached 2.4 m (8 feet) in length. More advanced species, members of the family Ornithomimidae, include ''Gallimimus'', ''Struthiomimus'', and ''Ornithomimus''. Some paleontologists, like Paul Sereno, consider the enigmatic alvarezsaurids to be close relatives of the ornithomimosaurs and place them together in the superfamily Ornithomimoidea (see classification below). Description The skulls of ornithomimosaurs were small, with large eyes, abov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Deinocheirus
''Deinocheirus'' ( ) is a genus of large ornithomimosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous around 70 million years ago. In 1965, a pair of large arms, shoulder girdles, and a few other bones of a new dinosaur were first discovered in the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia. In 1970, this specimen became the holotype of the only species within the genus, ''Deinocheirus mirificus''; the genus name is Greek for "horrible hand". No further remains were discovered for almost fifty years, and its nature remained a mystery. Two more complete specimens were described in 2014, which shed light on many aspects of the animal. Parts of these new specimens had been looted from Mongolia some years before, but were repatriated in 2014. ''Deinocheirus'' was an unusual ornithomimosaur, the largest of the clade at long, and weighing . Though it was a bulky animal, it had many hollow bones which saved weight. The arms were among the largest of any bipedal dinosaur at long, with large, blunt claws ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallimimus
''Gallimimus'' ( ) is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous period, about seventy million years ago (mya). Several fossils in various stages of growth were discovered by Polish-Mongolian expeditions in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia during the 1960s; a large skeleton discovered in this region was made the holotype specimen of the new genus and species ''Gallimimus bullatus'' in 1972. The generic name means "chicken mimic", referring to the similarities between its neck vertebrae and those of the Galliformes. The specific name is derived from '' bulla'', a golden capsule worn by Roman youth, in reference to a bulbous structure at the base of the skull of ''Gallimimus''. At the time it was named, the fossils of ''Gallimimus'' represented the most complete and best preserved ornithomimid ("ostrich dinosaur") material yet discovered, and the genus remains one of the best known members of the group. ''Gallimimus'' is the largest know ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pelecanimimus
''Pelecanimimus'' (meaning "pelican mimic") is an extinct genus of basal ("primitive") ornithomimosaurian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Spain. It is notable for possessing more teeth than any other member of the Ornithomimosauria (or any other theropod), most of which were toothless. Discovery and naming In July 1993 Armando Díaz Romeral discovered a theropod skeleton at the ''Las Hoyas Unit 3'' site. In 1994 this was named and described by Bernardino Pérez Pérez-Moreno, José Luis Sanz, Angela Buscalioni, José Moratalla, Francisco Ortega and Diego Rasskin-Gutman as a new species: ''Pelecanimimus polyodon''. The generic name is derived from Latin ''pelecanus'', "pelican", and ''mimus'', "mimic", in reference to the long snout and throat pouch. The specific name is a reference to the large number of teeth possessed by this theropod and is derived from Greek πολύς ('), "many" and ὀδούς (') "tooth". The holotype specimen, LH 7777, part of the Las ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harpymimus
''Harpymimus'' is a basal ornithomimosaurian theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of what is now Mongolia. Unlike later, more derived ornithomimosaurs, ''Harpymimus'' still possessed teeth, although they appear to have been restricted to the dentary of the lower jaw. Discovery and naming In 1981, a Soviet-Mongolian expedition uncovered a theropod skeleton in the Gobi Desert. In 1984 this was named and shortly described by Rinchen Barsbold and Altangerel Perle as the type and only species of the new genus ''Harpymimus'': ''Harpymimus okladnikovi''. The generic name ''Harpymimus'' is a reference to the fearsome Harpy In Greek mythology and Roman mythology, a harpy (plural harpies, , ; lat, harpȳia) is a half-human and half-bird personification of storm winds. They feature in Homeric poems. Descriptions They were generally depicted as birds with the hea ... of Greek mythology and derived from Greek ἅρπυια (''harpyia''), "Harpy", and μῖμ� ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theropod
Theropoda (; ), whose members are known as theropods, is a dinosaur clade that is characterized by hollow bones and three toes and claws on each limb. Theropods are generally classed as a group of saurischian dinosaurs. They were ancestrally carnivorous, although a number of theropod groups evolved to become herbivores and omnivores. Theropods first appeared during the Carnian age of the late Triassic period 231.4 million years ago ( Ma) and included all the large terrestrial carnivores from the Early Jurassic until at least the close of the Cretaceous, about 66 Ma. In the Jurassic, birds evolved from small specialized coelurosaurian theropods, and are today represented by about 10,500 living species. Biology Diet and teeth Theropods exhibit a wide range of diets, from insectivores to herbivores and carnivores. Strict carnivory has always been considered the ancestral diet for theropods as a group, and a wider variety of diets was historically considered a ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valdoraptor
''Valdoraptor'' (meaning "Wealden plunderer") is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous. Its fossils were found in England. It is known only from bones of the feet. The holotype, BMNH R2559 (incorrectly given by Owen as BMNH R2556), was found near Cuckfield in layers of the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation dating from the late Valanginian. The specimen is damaged lacking parts of the upper and lower ends. It has a conserved length of and an estimated length of . This genus is paleontologically significant for being the first ornithomimosaur specimen known from England and represents the earliest record of ornithomimosaurs. Discovery In 1858 Richard Owen referred a fossil consisting of a set of three metatarsals, foot bones, part of the collection of the British Museum of Natural History, to the herbivorous dinosaur genus ''Hylaeosaurus'' because of its size and bone texture. Owen had a lithograph made of the bones that gave a mirrored image: although th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kinnareemimus
''Kinnareemimus'' is a genus of ornithomimosaurian theropod dinosaur from Thailand. It is known only from incomplete remains discovered no later than the early 1990s that includes vertebrae, partial pubic bones, metatarsals, and an incomplete fibula. The third metatarsal exhibits a distinctive lateral "pinching", known as the "arctometarsalian" condition, variations of which are found in ornithomimosaurs, tyrannosauroids, troodontids, and caenagnathids. Its remains were collected from the Early Cretaceous Sao Khua Formation, dating to the Barremian stage, at Phu Wiang, Khon Kaen Province. Its early occurrence makes it among the earliest (if not the earliest) ornithomimosaur known, depending on the age of the formation. Buffetaut ''et al.'' suggest the fossils of ''Kinnareemimus'' may indicate an Asian origin for advanced ornithomimosaurs. The genus was first described by Eric Buffetaut, Varavudh Suteethorn and Haiyan Tong in 2009 and the type and only species is ''Kinnareemi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gallimimus Mongoliensis
This list of informally named dinosaurs is a listing of dinosaurs (excluding Aves; birds and their extinct relatives) that have never been given formally published scientific names. This list only includes names that were not properly published ("unavailable names") and have not since been published under a valid name (see list of dinosaur genera for valid names). The following types of names are present on this list: * ''Nomen nudum'', Latin for "naked name": A name that has appeared in print but has not yet been formally published by the standards of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. ''Nomina nuda'' (the plural form) are invalid, and are therefore not italicized as a proper generic name would be. * '' Nomen manuscriptum'', Latin for "manuscript name": A name that appears in manuscript but was not formally published. A ''nomen manuscriptum'' is equivalent to a ''nomen nudum'' for everything except the method of publication, and description. * '' Nomen ex ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shenzhousaurus
''Shenzhousaurus'' (meaning "Shenzhou lizard") is a genus of basal ornithomimosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China. The holotype (NGMC 97-4-002, National Geological Museum of China) was collected from near the bottom (fluvial beds) of the Yixian Formation (Aptian) at the Sihetun fossil site, Beipiao, western Liaoning Province. This specimen consists of a partial skeleton preserved on a sandstone slab in a " death pose," its head above the torso. The distal parts of the hindlimbs, distal portion of the tail, and the forelimbs (except for part of the right hand) and the pectoral girdle are missing. The head is crushed, exposing the left side obliquely. ''Shenzhousaurus'' was first described by Qiang Ji, Mark Norell, Peter J. Makovicky, Keqin Gao, Shu-An Ji and Chongxi Yuan in 2003 and the type species is ''Shenzhousaurus orientalis''. The genus is currently monotypic and appears to be more derived than ''Pelecanimimus polyodon'', yet less derived than ''Harpymimus oklandikov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hexing
''Hexing'' is an extinct genus of basal ornithomimosaur dinosaur known from the Early Cretaceous of northeastern China. It contains a single species, ''Hexing qingyi''. Discovery and naming In the early twenty-first century, a local farmer at Xiaobeigou in Liaoning discovered the skeleton of a small theropod. He prepared the fossil himself, trying to enhance its value by restoring damaged bones and adding fake parts. Eventually the specimen was obtained by the Geological Museum of Jilin University and more expertly prepared, during which process the added parts were again removed. In 2012, the type species ''Hexing qingyi'' was named and described by Jin Liyong, Chen Jun and Pascal Godefroit. The generic name means "like a crane" in Chinese. The specific name means "with slender wings". The holotype, JLUM-JZ07b1, was found in fluvial deposits of the lower Yixian Formation, which have a highest possible age of 139 million years and a lowest of 128 million years and thus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arkansaurus
''Arkansaurus'' (meaning "Arkansas lizard") is an extinct genus of ornithomimosaurian theropod dinosaur. It lived during the Albian and Aptian stages of the Early Cretaceous. The type and only species is ''Arkansaurus fridayi''. History In August 1972, Joe B. Friday, who owned a service station in Locksburg, Arkansas, noticed some vultures circling above his land. Checking his cows, he noticed that fossil bones were visible in a ditch near the road where some gravel had been removed recently for the reconstruction of Arkansas Highway 24. He removed them and for some months displayed the fossils in his station. At the time, nobody recognised them for dinosaur bones.McDonnold, Paul, 2014, "Them Dry Bones", ''Arkansas Life'', September 2014, pp 80–85 A geology professor at the University of Arkansas and former resident of the nearby town of Nashville, Doy Zachry Jr., took the bones to his colleague at the University of Arkansas, paleontologist Dr. James H. Quinn, to view. Quinn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is the subject of active research. They became the dominant terrestrial vertebrates after the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event 201.3 mya; their dominance continued throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. The fossil record shows that birds are feathered dinosaurs, having evolved from earlier theropods during the Late Jurassic epoch, and are the only dinosaur lineage known to have survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event approximately 66 mya. Dinosaurs can therefore be divided into avian dinosaurs—birds—and the extinct non-avian dinosaurs, which are all dinosaurs other than birds. Dinosaurs are varied from taxonomic, morphological and ecological standpoints. Birds, at over 10,700 living species ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
