Mexidracon longimanus was an ornithomimid dinosaur that lived during the late Cretaceous, about 72 million years ago, in what is now northern Mexico.
It was a fairly small ornithomimid at around 2.5-3m long (~8-10'), and its leg proportions suggest it was less specialized for fast running than some of its other relatives. But its most unique feature was its hands, with extremely elongated metacarpal bones – giving it palms that were longer than its upper arm!
It's unclear what the function of these unusual limbs was. Possibly they gave Mexidracon extra reach to hook its claws onto foliage and pull it within reach of its head, in a similar manner to ground sloths, chalicotheres, and therizinosaurs.
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References:
Nicholles, E. L. "Structure and function of the pectoral girdle and forelimb of Struthiomimus altus (Theropoda: Ornithomimidae)." Palaeontology 28 (1985): 619-628. https://www.palass.org/publications/palaeontology-journal/archive/28/4/article_pp643-677
Serrano-Brañas, Claudia Inés, et al. "A long-handed new ornithomimid dinosaur from the Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) Cerro del Pueblo Formation, Coahuila, Mexico." Cretaceous Research (2025): 106087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106087
Wikipedia contributors. “Mexidracon” Wikipedia, 05 Apr. 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexidracon
Yirka, Bob. "New genus and species within Ornithomimidae dinosaur family identified in Mexico" Phys.org, 03 Feb. 2025, https://phys.org/news/2025-02-genus-species-ornithomimidae-dinosaur-family.html
A partial fossilized metatarsal of a theropod, possibly Dzharacursor bissektensis from the Bissekty Formation in Dzharakuduk, Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan. This species was previously referred to the genus Archaeornithomimus from the Iren Dabasu Formation. This basal ornithomimid would have been the prey for tyrannosaurs like Timurlengia or carcharodontosaurians like Ulughbegsaurus.
Reference sheet for Artfight. I thought i wouldn't participate this year or at all anymore, as over the year i found out that for me, drawing paleoart and winging designs is alot more fun than drawing characters, but i saw the theme (WAY too late by the way) and bro. This year i HAVE to draw atleast one attack because i'll propably regret forever if i don't lmao
[Image description: A stylized digital drawing of a wandering green gallimimus with red eyes and red flowers in her feathers. The flowers are concentrated on her wing & tail feathers except for a single flower on her head. End of image description]
Arianna's Notes – Mexidracon longimanus — Mexican Society of Strange Ostrich
Mexidracon (meaning "Mexican dragon") is an extinct genus of ornithomimid theropod dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous Cerro del Pueblo Formation of Coahuila, Mexico. The genus contains a single species, Mexidracon longimanus, known from a partial skeleton. Also known by Mexians as Mexihcawetiah.
Reconstruction of the ornithomimid Gallimimus bullatus from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. I decided to simulate the style of drawing with a pen or pencil in Photoshop. It turned out to be very similar to drawings on paper. :)
Gallimimus was discovered in the 60s of last year in the joint Polish-Mongolian expeditions. Paleontologist Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska found a partial skeleton of an adult, which became the holotype of a new genus. Skeletons of young individuals were also found. Most of the specimens came from the Nemegt basin, famous for its bone deposits. At that time, the remains of the Gallimimus were the most complete belonging to ornithomimids. This taxon was described in 1972. Its name, meaning "chicken imitator", refers to the structure of the anterior cervical vertebrae, resembling the vertebrae of chicken-like birds. Gallimimus was the largest ornithomimid: the holotype reached 6 meters in length and weighed an estimated 400-490 kilograms.
