#conchoraptor gracilis

[saritapaleo]

Conchoraptor gracilis means “gracile mussel plunderer” and it stands as a reference to an interesting theory on what oviraptorosaurs were doing with their sharp beaks and strong bite-forces. Described in 1986 by renowned paleontologist Rinchen Barsbold, the name Conchoraptor reflects Barsbold’s hypothesis that oviraptorosaurs may have been specialized in cracking open the shells of mollusks. However, Conchoraptor lived in an arid desert environment filled with sand dunes and only intermittent streams. If there were mussels here, there were not enough to feed a population of specialized mollusk-hunters. Conchoraptor was probably more likely to feed on tough vegetation and perhaps small animals, like other oviraptorosaurs. Though if it could find a mussel in the desert, I’m sure it would have had no trouble cracking it open.

Due to its lack of crest, Conchoraptor was originally thought to be a juvenile Oviraptor. However, it had differing anatomy from Oviraptor, especially in its hands. Since then, two dozen specimens of Conchoraptor, including large adults also without crests, have been found. It did seem to have adaptations within its skull for hearing low-frequency sounds, so perhaps it had no need of the crest.

Conchoraptor is known from both the Barun Goyot and the Nemegt Formations of Late Cretaceous Mongolia. In the Barun Goyot, it would have lived alongside fellow oviraptorid Heyuannia, as well as dromaeosaurids like Kuru, Shri, Hulsanpes, and Natovenator, birds like Gobipteryx and Hollanda, alvarezsaurs like Ceratonykus and Parvicursor, and indeterminate sauropods. Ornithischians included the pachycephalosaur Tylocephale, the protoceratopsids Bagaceratops and Breviceratops, and the ankylosaurids Saichania, Tarchia, and Zaraapelta.

A million or so years later, Conchoraptors in the Nemegt Formation would have lived alongside fellow oviraptorid Oksoso, as well as birds like Teviornis and Gurilynia, the ornithomimid Gallimimus, the pachycephalosaur Prenocephale, the hadrosaur Saurolophus, indeterminate therizinosaurids and sauropods, and the tyrannosaur Tarbosaurus.

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[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Conchoraptor gracilis

Source: http://dinopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Conchoraptor

Name: Conchoraptor gracilis

Name Meaning: Conch Plunderer

First Described: 1986

Described By: Barsbold 

Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Oviraptorosauria, Caenagnathoidea, Oviraptoridae, Oviraptorinae 

Conchoraptor was a fairly more advanced oviraptor from the Red Beds of Hermiin Tsaav of the Nemegt Formation in Mongolia. It lived in the Campanian age of the Late Cretaceous, about 72 million years ago. The found specimen was a juvenile and was found without a crest, indicating that the feature would grow with sexual maturity. It lived in an arid environment with fields of sand dunes and some streams. It lived alongside many other species of dinosaurs, such as Hulsanpes, Ajancingenia, Avimimus, Ceratonykus, Mononykus, Parvicurosr, Tylocephale, Saichania, Tarchia, Bagaceratops, Breviceratops, Lamaceratops, Platyceratops, Quaesitosaurus, Gobipteryx, and Hollanda. There were also the lizards Estesia, Ovoo, Proplatynotia, and Gobiderma. There were some early mammals as well: Asioryctes, Barunlestes, Gobiates, Catopsbaatar, Chulsanbaatar, Nemegtbaatar, Asiatherium, and Deltatheridium. 

Source: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conchoraptor

Shout out goes to thefingerpaintingutahraptor