Biodiversity
Brain
Genetics
Marine Biology
Microbiology
PaleontOLogy
Zoology
Anthropology
Archaeology
Astronomy
Climate Change
Earth
Physics
Water
If you know that Chirostenotes pergracilis is a theropod, then what else do you know?
Only a few fossils of this Chirostenotes have been found. It has some bird-like features. Its lower jaws look like a bird's beak. It was mistaken for a giant bird for a while. Recently, a good specimen was found. Now we know that this animal was a close relative of Oviraptor.
it used its horns during battle
it had bird-like hind limbs
it ate leaves from very tall plants
Are you right?
Correct!
Birds are a kind of theropod and have the same type of hind limbs as a Chirostenotes, another theropod.
Chirostenotes pergracilis is closely related to which of the following dinosaurs?
Pelecanimimus polyodon
Oviraptor philoceratops
Protoceratops andrewsi
Are you right?
Correct!
Both Chirostenotes and Oviraptor belong to the group Oviraptorosauria. They had toothless beaks and short, thick tails.
Chirostenotes means "very long tailbone."
Fact
or
Fiction
?
Fiction
This dinosaur's generic name actually means "very narrow hands."
Charles W. Gilmore, the paleontologist who named this dinosaur in 1924, was also an expert on fossil lizards.
Fact
or
Fiction
?
Fact
In addition to naming more than eight kinds of dinosaurs, Gilmore was an authority on ancient lizards.
Scientific Name: Chirostenotes pergracilis
Pronunciation: KIE-roh-sten-OH-teez per-grah-SIH-lis
Meaning: "narrow hand"
Locality Found: Alberta, Canada
Age: Late Cretaceous, 75 to 65 million years ago
Size: 35 to 60 kilograms (76 to 130 pounds)
Characteristics: This toothless theropod had very large hands with long, slender fingers and huge claws. The skull was very similar to the Oviraptor, but it had no crest.
Image credits: Rick Spears.
