Oviraptorosaur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oviraptorosaurs |
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| Replica of a Caudipteryx zoui skeleton | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | Theropoda |
| Clade: | Pennaraptora |
| Clade: | †Oviraptorosauria Barsbold, 1976 |
| Subgroups | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Caenagnathiformes Sternberg, 1940 |
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Oviraptorosaurs were a group of feathered dinosaurs. They lived during the Cretaceous period, which was a very long time ago. Today, we find their fossils in places like Asia and North America.
These dinosaurs had short, beaked heads, a bit like a parrot. Some even had bony crests on their heads! Oviraptorosaurs came in many sizes. Some, like Caudipteryx, were as small as a turkey. Others, like Gigantoraptor, were huge. They could be 8 meters long and weigh 1.4 tons. Most of the best oviraptorosaur fossils have been found in Asia.
Scientists believe oviraptorosaurs are closely related to birds. They might even be early birds that couldn't fly. Or, they could just be very close cousins to birds.
The oldest known oviraptorosaurs are Protarchaeopteryx robusta and Incisivosaurus gauthieri. Their fossils were found in China and are about 125 million years old. Some other small bone pieces found in England might be even older. These could show that oviraptorosaurs lived as far back as 140 million years ago.
Discovering Oviraptorosaurs
Scientists have found many different types of oviraptorosaurs. Each one helps us learn more about these amazing dinosaurs. Here are some of the well-known kinds:
Images for kids
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Oviraptorosaurs shown to scale
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A skeleton cast of Anzu wyliei at the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center
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A fossil of a baby oviraptorosaur, nicknamed "Baby Louie"
See also
In Spanish: Oviraptorosauria para niños
