US EditionNewly Discovered Dinosaur Duonychus tsogtbaatari Reveals Rare Two-Fingered Adaptation
- Paleontologists discovered the fossilized remains of a previously unknown, medium-sized therizinosaur species, named Duonychus tsogtbaatari in honor of Mongolian paleontologist Khishigjav Tsogtbaatar, in Mongolia's Gobi Desert several years ago.
- This find is significant because Duonychus tsogtbaatari, part of the theropod family that includes Tyrannosaurus rex, possessed unique two-fingered hands, setting it apart from other therizinosaurs that typically have three claws, and lived during the Late Cretaceous period between 100.5 to 66 million years ago.
- The discovery included fossilized parts of the backbone, tail, hips, arms, and legs, revealing that Duonychus stood about 10 feet tall and weighed approximately 573 pounds , and it is the largest claw of its kind found fully preserved.
- According to Zelenitsky, the dinosaur's hands were "awkward looking", "big and very sharp", and the best comparison for the distinctive digits among living animals would be the claws of a sloth, with Steve Brusatte noting that therizinosaurs have a reputation as "Edward Scissorhands dinosaurs."
- Researchers suggest Duonychus tsogtbaatari, with its nearly one-foot-long claws covered in a keratin sheath similar to fingernails, likely used its unique two-fingered hands to grasp vegetation, potentially for display, defense, or other purposes, enhancing our understanding of dinosaur evolution and behavior.
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Dinosaur With Two Massive, Sloth-Like Claws Is on 'Another Level' of Weird—Even Among Its Unusual Group of Relatives
Paleontologists discovered Duonychus tsogtbaatari from fossils uncovered in 2012. It was a giant, feathered creature adapted to grasp and feed on vegetation
·United States
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Massive Claw Belonging to a Bizarre Sloth-Like Dinosaur Found in Gobi Desert
A new dinosaur species, Duonychus, has been discovered in the Gobi Desert. It’s got a cool and likely deadly feature—11-inch-long claws that befit its sloth-like looks. The creature dates back to the Cretaceous period and was only discovered thanks to the construction of a water pipeline. An associate professor at the University of Calgary, Dr. Darla Zelenitsky, was part of the team behind the discovery. She describes Duonychus as having a long …
·New York, United States
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