Remains of a new dinosaur species discovered in Mongolia: what makes them unique

In Mongolia, paleontologists have discovered a new species of dinosaur with unusual claws. It is a representative of therizinosaurs, herbivorous bipedal giants found buried in the Gobi Desert. Unlike other therizinosaurs, which had three fingers with long, sharp claws, this new species has only two fingers. It is this feature that determined its scientific name - Duonychus tsogtbaatari, which means "two digits" in Greek and honors the Mongolian paleontologist Khishigdzhav Tsogtbaatar.

One of the authors of the study, Darla Zelenitskaya, admitted that the discovery of a dinosaur with only two fingers was a real discovery, as it is a very rare phenomenon for this group. This is reported by Live Science.

Terezinosaurs lived in Asia and North America in the late Cretaceous period, approximately 100-66 million years ago. Although they belonged to the theropods, which are most often associated with carnivorous dinosaurs, they were herbivores. They were famous for their huge sickle-shaped claws, which in some species were up to 50 centimeters long. All previously known therizinosaurs, including Therizinosaurus and Beipiaosaurus, had three fingers, making the discovery of D. tsogtbaatari unique.

Paleontologist Yoshitsugu Kobayashi of Hokkaido University emphasized that therizinosaurs are already considered one of the most extraordinary dinosaurs, and the discovery of this species makes them even more mysterious.

In addition to the unique structure of the fingers, the researchers drew attention to the incredibly well-preserved keratinous claw shell, the first such case among large theropods. According to Zelenitskaya, the hand fossil is perfectly preserved: all the bones of the fingers and wrist are intact, and the claw shell allows us to estimate its size and shape.

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According to the scientists, D. tsogtbaatari could use its powerful claws to grab branches and pull up vegetation, similar to chameleons. Kobayashi noted that many therizinosaurs could use the "hook and drag" tactic to collect food, but this species took it to a new level due to the unique shape of its claws.

In addition, the scientist suggested that these claws could have had other functions, such as defense, courtship, or even play. He emphasized that this discovery fundamentally changes the way we think about therizinosaurs and their evolution, and further discoveries may provide even more answers about their unique anatomy.

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