Conchoraptor

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Conchoraptor
Temporal range:
Ma
↓
Cast mounted in a nesting position
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Family: †Oviraptoridae
Subfamily: †
Heyuanninae
Genus: †Conchoraptor
Barsbold, 1986
Species:
†C. gracilis
Binomial name
†Conchoraptor gracilis
Barsbold, 1986

Conchoraptor (meaning "

Barun Goyot and Nemegt formations of Mongolia
.

Discovery

Subadult specimen

When first discovered in the

Ajancingenia and Oviraptor, making it obvious that this animal was not a member of a known species.[1]

The

mollusks.[1] The specific name means "gracile" in Latin. The holotype is MPC-D 100/20, a partial skull.[3]
About two dozen specimens were formally referred to the species later.

Description

Life restoration

Conchoraptor was a small dinosaur, only 1–2 meters (3.3-6.6 feet) in length. Unlike many other

mollusk shells.[1] The skull of Conchoraptor was heavily pneumatised, with most of the bones hollow.[4]

Classification

Conchoraptor was by Barsbold assigned to the Oviraptoridae in 1986. Recent analyses show it was a member of the oviraptorid subfamily Ingeniinae (now Heyuanninae). The cladogram below follows an analysis by Fanti et al., 2012.[5]

Oviraptoridae

Oviraptor

unnamed

Rinchenia

Citipati

unnamed

Khaan

unnamed

Conchoraptor

unnamed

Machairasaurus

unnamed

"Ingenia" (=

Ajancingenia
)

unnamed

Paleobiology

Senses

Specimen from Khermeen Tsav

Internal connections between both ears functioned as resonance chambers and improved hearing.[6]

Feeding

Originally it was suggested that Conchoraptor had a diet that primarily consisted of mollusks.[7][8][9] A 2022 study of the bite force of Conchoraptor and comparisons with other oviraptorosaurs such as Incisivosaurus, Citipati, and Khaan instead suggests that Conchoraptor had a very strong bite force. The moderate jaw gape seen in oviraptorosaurs is indicative of herbivory in the majority of the group, but it is clear they were likely feeding on much tougher or more various types of vegetation than other herbivorous theropods in their environment, such as ornithomimosaurs and therizinosaurs were able to. The examinations suggest oviraptorosaurs may have been powerful-biting generalists or specialists that partook of niche partitioning both in body size and cranial function.[10]

Paleoenvironment

The

period.[12] During the Late Cretaceous period, the land that is now the Nemegt Formation had an arid environment with fields of sand dunes and only intermittent streams. It is slightly younger than the nearby Djadochta Formation, and seems to have been slightly wetter.[12] This formation is noteworthy for the exquisite preservation of small and fragile dinosaur skeletons, a rare occurrence considering that these fossils are typically broken up and dispersed when found in other rock formations.[13]

Conchoraptor shared its habitat with other oviraptorosaurs including

Zanabazar, the tyrannosaurids Alioramus and Tarbosaurus. Ornithischians include the pachycephalosaurs Homalocephale and Prenocephale, the hadrosaurid Saurolophus, the ankylosaurs Saichania and Tarchia
.

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-7853-0443-6
    .
  2. ^ Barsbold, R. (1986). "Raubdinosaurier Oviraptoren". In Vorobyeva, E.I. (ed.). Herpetologische Untersuchungen in der Mongolischen Volksrepublik. Akademia Nauk SSSR. pp. 210–223.
  3. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.10.023
    .
  4. S2CID 25723660
    .
  5. PMID 22347465
    .
  6. S2CID 40622976
    .
  7. ISSN 0008-4077
    .
  8. S2CID 128767044
    .
  9. ^ Mike, Walley (July 28, 2008). "Strange Dinosaur Called Conchoraptor". Everything Dinosaur Blog. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  10. S2CID 247057480
    .
  11. ISBN 978-0-521-78142-8
    .
  12. ^
    doi:10.1016/0195-6671(91)90015-5
    .
  13. ^ Novacek, M. J., 1996. "Dinosaurs of the Flaming. Cliffs" Anchor/Doubleday. 367 p.

External links

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