Deinocheirus
Deinocheirus (Dino-Kai-Rus)
Name means: “Terrible Hand”
Deinocheirus was the largest orinithominosaur that lived, growing to 33 feet in length. It lived in what is now Mongolia approximately 90-70 million years ago, along side with other dinosaurs such as the hornless Protoceratops, the tyrannosaurid Tarbosaurus, the hadrosaur Saurolophus, fellow giant Gigantoraptor and the famous Velociraptor. The name comes from its large forearms and clawed hands that were first discovered half a century ago.
This dinosaur was one of the biggest paleontological mysteries since its discovery. For the longest time paleontologists were not sure what species of dinosaur they belonged to since no other fossils were discovered and they could not compare the limbs to any other dinosaur discovered. Some theorized that the once belonged to a large therizinosaur, a family of dinosaurs that are close relatives to carnivorous theropods but have evolved into vegetarians with extra long clawed hands.
The mystery had finally been solved in 2014 when rumors of new materials in private hands that had been illegally extorted from Mongolia. The rumors turned out to be fact and they were returned to their home country where upon further investigation revealed two new specimens of Deinocheirus. These remains helped paleontologists confirm that Deinocheirus was in fact an ornithominosaur, an ostrich like dinosaur known for having long running legs, long skinny necks, and very bird like skulls. At long last, the mystery of Deinocheirus was solved, giving a body and an identity to one of the most bizarre and mysterious dinosaurs that once roamed the earth.
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