Deinocheirids facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Deinocheirids |
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| The very long arms of Deinocheirus | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Clade: | †Ornithomimosauria |
| Family: | †Deinocheiridae Osmólska & Roniewicz, 1970 |
| Type species | |
| Deinocheirus mirificus Osmólska & Roniewicz, 1970
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| Genera | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Deinocheiridae is a group, or family, of dinosaurs known as ornithomimosaurs. These dinosaurs are often called "ostrich-mimic" dinosaurs because they looked a bit like modern ostriches.
The name Deinocheiridae comes from Deinocheirus, which means "terrible hand." This name was given because the first fossils found were huge arms with giant claws!
Contents
What are Deinocheirids?
Deinocheirids were a special type of theropod dinosaur. Theropods are usually meat-eaters, but many ornithomimosaurs, including deinocheirids, were likely omnivores (eating both plants and animals) or even herbivores (eating only plants).
They had long legs, small heads, and long necks, similar to modern ostriches. However, some deinocheirids, like Deinocheirus itself, grew to be very large.
When and Where Did They Live?
Deinocheirids lived during the Cretaceous Period, which was a long time ago. Their fossils have been found from the Early Cretaceous to the Late Cretaceous. This means they roamed the Earth for many millions of years.
Most of the fossils of deinocheirids have been discovered in Asia. This tells us that these dinosaurs were an important part of the ancient ecosystems in that part of the world.
Discovery and Naming
The Deinocheiridae family was first named in 1970 by two scientists, Halszka Osmólska and Ewa Roniewicz. At that time, they only included the dinosaur Deinocheirus in this family.
For many years, scientists debated if Deinocheiridae was a proper family. Then, in 2014, a new study by Yuong-Nam Lee and his team, published in the famous journal Nature, confirmed that Deinocheiridae was indeed a valid and distinct group of dinosaurs. This study helped us understand more about these amazing creatures.
Famous Deinocheirid Dinosaurs
The most well-known member of this family is Deinocheirus. For a long time, only its giant arms were known, which made it a mystery. Later, more complete skeletons were found, showing it was a very unusual dinosaur. It had a hump on its back, a duck-like beak, and was one of the largest ornithomimosaurs.
Other dinosaurs that belong to the Deinocheiridae family include:
- Beishanlong
- Harpymimus
- Hexing
- Garudimimus
- Paraxenisaurus
Studying these different dinosaurs helps scientists learn how the Deinocheiridae family evolved and changed over millions of years.
See also
In Spanish: Deinoquéiridos para niños
