Dromiceiomimus

Taxobox
name = "Dromiceiomimus"
image width = 250px

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image_caption = Life restoration of "Dromiceiomimus brevitertius"
fossil_range = Late Cretaceous
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Theropoda
familia = Ornithomimidae
genus = "Dromiceiomimus"
genus_authority = Russell, 1972
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
*"D. brevitertius" (Parks, 1926)
*"D. samueli"

"Dromiceiomimus" (pronEng|drɒˌmɪsioʊˈmaɪməs; meaning "Emu mimic") was a swift bipedal dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period, about 80 to 65 million years ago.

Description

It was about 12 feet (3.5 m) long and weighed about 220 to 330 pounds (100 to 150 kg). Its femur (thigh bone) was 468 mm long. This ornithomimid (a bird-like theropod) had very long limbs, hollow bones, and a large brain and eyes. It had a toothless, beaked mouth, and weak jaws.

The brains of ornithomimids were large for dinosaurs, but this may not necessarily be a sign of greater intelligence; some paleontologists think that the enlarged portions of the brain were dedicated to kinesthetic coordination. Compared to other ornithomimosaurs "Drimiceiomimus" had a short back, long slender forearms, very large eye sockets, and pelvic bones that were arranged somewhat differently.

Discovery

The first fossil remains of this genus were discovered in the 1920s, and originally named "Struthiomimus brevitertius" and "S. samueli". It was renamed by Russell in 1972 to "D. brevitertius" after an extensive review of North American ornithomimosaurs, which he reclassified into three genera: "Dromiceiomimus", "Ornithomimus", and "Struthiomimus". Alberta, Canada's Horseshoe Canyon and Judith River Formations have yielded fossils of both adults and juveniles. The top speed of this dinosaur is believed to be 40 mph.Fact|date=July 2008

Paleobiology

Canadian palaeontologist Dale Russell has suggested that the animals were entirely carnivorous, feeding from eggs and small animals dug from nests.Fact|date=July 2008 This view is still debated; their body shape would also have been suited for a partly herbivorous lifestyle. It may have eaten insects, fruit, eggs, and the meat of lizards and small mammals."Dromiceiomimus." In: Dodson, Peter & Britt, Brooks & Carpenter, Kenneth & Forster, Catherine A. & Gillette, David D. & Norell, Mark A. & Olshevsky, George & Parrish, J. Michael & Weishampel, David B. "The Age of Dinosaurs". Publications International, LTD. p. 140. ISBN 0-7853-0443-6.] The large eye sockets suggest a keen visual sense, and also suggest the possibility that they were nocturnal.

References