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A new species ofdinosaurwith strange claws has been unearthed in Mongolia by paleontologists .
This new genus and mintage is a therizinosaur , plant - eating , two - legged giants with farseeing claws , and was break buried in the Gobi Desert , fit in to a new subject field published Tuesday ( March 25 ) in thejournal iScience .
The newfound dinosaur species Duonychus tsogtbaatari had two extraordinarily long sickle-shaped claws on each hand.
Unlike other therizinosaurs , which have three fingers on their hand outfit with long , sharp claws , this new mintage only has two fingerbreadth . This unique soma inspired its scientific name , namedDuonychus tsogtbaatari , which is Grecian for " two digits " and honour the Mongolian paleontologistKhishigjav Tsogtbaatar .
" Many species of therizinosaurs have been come upon , and this chemical group had somewhat much been defined by their three - finger mitt sporting large claws , " discipline co - authorDarla Zelenitsky , a palaeontologist at the University of Calgary in Canada , tell Live Science in an email . " To find a specimen with only two fingers / claws was surprising as this was so out of the ordinary for this group of dinosaurs . "
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(Image credit: Kobayashi et al 2025)
Therizinosaurs are a group of dinosaur that dwell across what is now Asia and North America during the Late Cretaceous Period ( 100 million to 66 million age ago ) . Despite being part of the theropod radical of dinosaur — typically associated with carnivorous dinosaur likeTyrannosaurus rex — therizinosaurs were herbivorous . These dinosaurs are known for their tremendous , sickle - mold nipper , with some species growingtalons as long as 20 inches(50 centimetre ) .
All other therizinosaurs that have antecedently been attain , includingTherizinosaurusandBeipiaosaurus , have three taloned finger on their hands , making the discovery of two - clawedD. tsogtbaatariunusual .
" Therizinosaurs are already some of the most strange dinosaur out there , butDuonychus tsogtbaataritakes it to another grade , " study lead authorYoshitsugu Kobayashi , a paleontologist at Hokkaido University in Japan , told Live Science in an email . " This fresh discovered species from Mongolia offend the mildew with just two fingers instead of the typical three , offer up a rare glimpse into how theropod hand germinate and accommodate . " " But what truly make this find exciting is the incredibly well - preserved keratinous cocktail dress on its pincer — the first such instance in a medium- to big - sized theropod dinosaur , " Kobayashi added .
(Image credit: Yoshi Kobayashi/Hokkaido University)
claw of the newly discoveredDuonychus tsogtbaatarifossil . This species is the first therizinosaur to have been found with only two taloned fingers .
Duonychus tsogtbaatarifossil claw during dig .
The new dodo was unearth during the construction of a pee pipeline in the Bayanshiree Formation in Ömnögovi Province , southerly Mongolia . The specimen had excellently preserved hand , with a 3D cocktail dress where the claw — made out of keratin , like our fingernails — would have been . part of the arms , spine and hip were also preserved .
An illustration of a therizinosaur.Duonychus tsogtbaatarimay have looked similar to this creature, except it only possessed two fingers instead of three.
" The hand , a trademark of therizinosaurs , are fine preserved with all the finger and wrist finger cymbals entire in this specimen , " Zelenitsky state . " Even the keratinous case of the claw is preserve unwrap how big and astute its claws really were . "
Other species of dinosaur , such asT. rex , had two finger , but this mark the first time a therizinosaur has been found with few than three digits . This mintage likely evolved to suffer one of the three fingers of its ancestors , the bailiwick source propose .
The researchers consider thatD. tsogtbaatarimay have evolve this singular hand in gild to good grasp vegetation , allow for more effective alimentation .
" The departure of the third finger inDuonychus tsogtbaatarimight actually have made its remaining two fingers even better at what they were designed for — seizing , " Kobayashi say . " Based on the shape of its well - preserved pincer and how it arch , Duonychuswas likely using its hand to snaffle onto branches and draw vegetation nearer , kind of like how chameleons do today . " " We think many therizinosaurs may have used their hands for foraging in a ' hook - and - pull ' apparent movement , butDuonychustakes this to another level with its extreme claw structure . "
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Additionally , Kobayashi indicate that the claw may have act other function , such as in " defense , courtship , or even play . "
The research worker are thrilled by this uncovering , as it not only unveil unexpected diversity within therizinosaurs , but also marks the 5th clock time that a theropod dinosaur group has evolved to turn a loss their third finger .
" While more dodo would help sustain this , all signs point toDuonychusrepresenting a truthful evolutionary shift , not just a flue , " Kobayashi aver . " It ’s a remarkable discovery that reshapes our sympathy of therizinosaurs and theropod evolution as a whole . "
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