|
|
|
Tyrannosaurus rex's Kinder, Gentler Cousin
|
| |
NAME:Therizinosaurus, meaning "Scythe lizard".
SIZE:12meters(39feet)long.
HABITAT:Woodland.
FOOD:Probably plants(maybey termites).
LIVED:The late Cretaceous in east Asia.
|
|
|
| |
Therizinosaurids are the strangest dinosaurs that ever lived. They have been described as looking like "a half plucked turkey that walks like a pot bellied bear". Therizinosaurus was the largest of its kind.
Therizinosaurs evolved from an early species of coelurosaur which was also the ansestor of the "raptors" and tyrannosaurids. However, the therizinosaurs seem to be herbivores and not predators.
Therizinosaurus had massive 70 centimeter long claws, probably used to rake leaves off trees. (Sean Markey [and others before him] has put forward an interesting theory that pehaps the claws were used to tear open termite monds and the therizinosaur had a long sticky tongue to eat them).
Very few Therizinosaurus remains have been found so restorations have been based around its relatives Alxasaurus, Erlikosaurus, Segnosaurus and Beipiaosaurus. Beipiaosaurus fossils have been found with feathers, so therizinosaurs were probably quite bird-like in their outward appearance. Dromaeosaurids also had feathers, so perhaps their cousin the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex had feathers too.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
