The gracile caenagnathids are notorious for fossilizing badly, and as such Nomingia gobiensis is only known from its spine, upper legs, and tail (which is honestly more than most other caenagnathids). However, its tail represents a significant discovery for oviraptorosaurs. Nomingia had five fused vertebrae at the tip of its tail, a structure similar to the pygostyle of birds, that would have supported a fan of tail feathers. When Nomingia was found in 1994 and described in 2000, this feature was thought to be unique to birds. And while we have evidence of tail fans in other oviraptorosaurs, pygostyles themselves are rare. It’s unknown why Nomingia would have needed this, as it was certainly too big for flying. Perhaps, like Khaan’s tail fan, it was used for display, and the structure would have allowed it to have a sturdier, larger, more “sexy” tail fan.
As of 2021, it has been suggested that Nomingia may actually be Elmisaurus, but further study is needed to confirm this. Since caenagnathid fossils tend to be so fragmentary, this may take some time.
Hailing from the Bügiin Tsav and Nemegt localities of Mongolia’s Late Cretaceous Nemegt Formation, Nomingia would have lived alongside Avimimus nemegtensis in this seasonally arid environment characterized by cliffs, shallow lakes, and patches of conifer forests. If not Elmisaurus itself, it would have lived alongside it as well as the oviraptorids Nemegtomaia in the Nemegt and Oksoso in the Bügiin Tsav. There were of course other dinosaurs here, including Therizinosaurus, the troodontid Tochisaurus, the tyrannosaur Bagaraatan, the sauropod Nemegtosaurus, the hadrosaur Barsboldia, and the pachycephalosaur Homalocephale in the Nemegt.
In the Bügiin Tsav, Nomingia would have lived alongside the troodontid Zanabazar, the dromaeosaur Adasaurus, the bird Brodavis, the ornithomimosaurs Anserimimus and Deinocheirus, and the alvarezsaur Mononykus.
It would have come across Gallimimus, the hadrosaur Saurolophus, the pachycephalosaur Prenocephale, and the tyrannosaur Tarbosaurus in both localities. Crocodylomorphs like Paralligator, fish like Harenaichthys, and turtles could be found in the freshwater lakes.
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This pride, remember to support your local nonbinary space aliens.
Continuing in my series of pride dinosaurs in blankets, I drew @pridedinosaurs ‘s lovely Nonbinary Nomingia design. They looked so sweet and fluffy I couldn’t not draw them. I’ve always been fascinated by oviraptorids, but it’s only in recent years that I’m realizing how remarkable they actually are.
