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A new metal money ofdinosaurwith unusual pincer has been unearth in Mongolia by fossilist .
This new genus and specie is a therizinosaur , plant life - eating , two - legged giants with long hook , and was attain buried in the Gobi Desert , according to a new study 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 hands fit with farsighted , knifelike claws , this unexampled species only has two fingers . This unique build inspired its scientific name , namedDuonychus tsogtbaatari , which is Hellenic for " two digits " and abide by the Mongolian paleontologistKhishigjav Tsogtbaatar .
" Many species of therizinosaurs have been unwrap , and this group had pretty much been defined by their three - finger hands feature large hook , " study co - authorDarla Zelenitsky , a palaeontologist at the University of Calgary in Canada , told Live Science in an email . " To find a specimen with only two finger / claw was surprising as this was so out of the ordinary for this group of dinosaur . "
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(Image credit: Kobayashi et al 2025)
Therizinosaurs are a group of dinosaur that live on across what is now Asia and North America during the Late Cretaceous Period ( 100 million to 66 million years ago ) . Despite being part of the theropod group of dinosaurs — typically relate with carnivorous dinosaurs likeTyrannosaurus king — therizinosaurs were herbivorous . These dinosaur are known for their tremendous , reap hook - influence nipper , with some species growingtalons as long as 20 inches(50 centimeter ) .
All other therizinosaurs that have antecedently been discovered , includingTherizinosaurusandBeipiaosaurus , have three clawed fingers on their hands , draw the discovery of two - clawedD. tsogtbaatariunusual .
" Therizinosaurs are already some of the most unusual dinosaur out there , butDuonychus tsogtbaataritakes it to another level , " study lead authorYoshitsugu Kobayashi , a fossilist at Hokkaido University in Japan , told Live Science in an e-mail . " This newly discovered species from Mongolia violate the mold with just two fingers instead of the distinctive three , offer a rare glance into how theropod hands evolved and adapt . " " But what truly makes this discovery exciting is the fabulously well - preserved keratinous sheath on its claw — the first such case in a medium- to great - sized theropod dinosaur , " Kobayashi added .
(Image credit: Yoshi Kobayashi/Hokkaido University)
Claws of the newly discoveredDuonychus tsogtbaatarifossil . This specie is the first therizinosaur to have been found with only two taloned fingers .
Duonychus tsogtbaatarifossil chela during digging .
The new fossil was unearthed during the construction of a water pipeline in the Bayanshiree Formation in Ömnögovi Province , southerly Mongolia . The specimen had excellently preserve hired man , with a 3D sheath where the nipper — made out of keratin , like our fingernails — would have been . Parts of the branch , pricker and hips 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 hands , a authentication of therizinosaurs , are delicately keep with all the digit and carpus bones entire in this specimen , " Zelenitsky tell . " Even the keratinous sheath of the claw is preserved reveal how enceinte and discriminating its claw really were . "
Other specie of dinosaur , such asT. king , had two fingers , but this marks the first fourth dimension a therizinosaur has been bump with fewer than three digits . This species likely evolved to lose one of the three fingers of its ancestor , the study writer suggest .
The investigator reckon thatD. tsogtbaatarimay have develop this unique hand in orderliness to unspoilt grip botany , allow for more efficient alimentation .
" The loss of the third digit inDuonychus tsogtbaatarimight actually have made its stay two digit even better at what they were designed for — grasping , " Kobayashi read . " base on the shape of its well - conserve pincer and how it curved , Duonychuswas belike using its hands to grab onto offset and pull flora closer , kind of like how chameleons do today . " " We think many therizinosaurs may have used their hands for foraging in a ' hook - and - pull ' motion , butDuonychustakes this to another degree with its extreme pincer structure . "
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to boot , Kobayashi suggest that the claw may have act other roles , such as in " defense , courtship , or even play . "
The researchers are thrilled by this discovery , as it not only reveals unexpected variety within therizinosaurs , but also mark the fifth clock time that a theropod dinosaur group has germinate to lose their third finger .
" While more fossils would help confirm this , all signs point toDuonychusrepresenting a true evolutionary shift , not just a trematode worm , " Kobayashi tell . " It ’s a remarkable discovery that reshape our sympathy of therizinosaurs and theropod phylogenesis as a whole . "
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