Meet Duonychus Tsogtbaatari, the Two-Clawed Dinosaur
In the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, a team of scientists stumbled upon a rare find – a dinosaur fossil with two claws. The creature, named Duonychus tsogtbaatari, belonged to the therisinosaurs group, a type of theropod that roamed Asia and North America during the Cretaceous period.
The discovery is significant, as therisinosaurs typically had three claws. This unique feature, combined with its ability to bend its claws, made Duonychus tsogtbaatari an efficient plant-eater. Its weight was around 260 kilograms, making it a mid-sized dinosaur.
A Rare Find in the Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert is a treasure trove of dinosaur fossils, with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognizing it as the largest dinosaur fossil site in the world. The region has yielded many important discoveries from the late Cretaceous period, the final stage of the dinosaurs’ evolution.
The fossil of Duonychus tsogtbaatari was found in a rock layer dating back to between 100.5 and 66 million years ago. Its claws were almost a foot long, much larger than its inner bones. These massive claws were likely used for grasping and gathering, and possibly even for defense or digging.
A Unique Feature
Duonychus tsogtbaatari’s two-clawed hands were not like those of the famous Tyrannosaurus Rex, which belonged to a different group of two-clawed dinosaurs. Instead, this dinosaur developed its unique hands independently, setting it apart from other theropods. The fossil also included the first-ever found keratin sheath, a protective layer covering the claws, similar to human fingernails.
According to Dr. Darla Zelenitsky, a co-researcher and associate professor at the University of Calgary, Duonychus tsogtbaatari was a peculiar-looking dinosaur. Its discovery provides new insights into the evolution of theropod dinosaurs and their adaptations during the Cretaceous period.
Read more about this discovery on BBC.