Deinocheirus
A large, bulky ornithomimosaur with a hadrosaur-like skull.
Deinocheirus is a genus of large ornithomimosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous around 70 million years ago.
- lived
- Late Cretaceous, around 70 million years ago
- field
- Paleontology
- known_for
- Largest ornithomimosaur; enormous arms with blunt claws; long-mysterious due to fragmentary remains
Reader's Guide
Deinocheirus is significant as the largest known ornithomimosaur and for resolving a long-standing paleontological mystery. Its classification was initially uncertain, placed in Carnosauria, but later shown to be a primitive ornithomimosaurian, closely related to Garudimimus and Beishanlong within Deinocheiridae. Unlike other ornithomimosaurs, it was not adapted for speed. Its skull shape indicates an omnivorous diet of plants and fish, supported by fish scales found with one specimen and gastroliths in the stomach region. The large claws may have been used for digging and gathering plants. Bite marks on its bones have been attributed to the tyrannosaurid Tarbosaurus. The discovery of more complete specimens also highlighted the problem of fossil poaching, as parts of the new specimens had been looted and later repatriated. Deinocheirus remains a key example of how fragmentary fossils can be reinterpreted with new finds.
Did You Know?
- The genus name Deinocheirus is Greek for 'horrible hand'.
- Bite marks on Deinocheirus bones have been attributed to the tyrannosaurid Tarbosaurus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Deinocheirus?
Deinocheirus is a genus of large ornithomimosaur that roamed during the Late Cretaceous, roughly 70 million years ago. It holds the record as the biggest member of the ornithomimosaur family, featuring a stocky build, a sail-like ridge along its back, and a skull that closely resembles a hadrosaur's.
What are Deinocheirus's most distinctive physical features?
Its most eye-catching traits are the enormous arms ending in broad, blunt claws, a heavy and bulky torso, and a sail-like structure running down its spine. It also carried a long, hadrosaur-like skull, which was a surprising find for an animal classified as an ornithomimosaur.
How large was Deinocheirus compared to other dinosaurs?
Deinocheirus was the largest ornithomimosaur ever identified, with a body and arm span far exceeding those of its more slender relatives. Its sheer bulk and disproportionately huge forelimbs set it apart from the rest of its family.
Where and when did Deinocheirus live?
Deinocheirus inhabited what is now Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous, approximately 70 million years ago. Its remains come from the Nemegt Formation, a sedimentary deposit in Mongolia that has also produced fossils of many other dinosaur species.
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