Describer

Clark, Norell & Barsbold, 2001

Time

Cretaceous Late Campanian

Classification

Saurischia Theropoda Tetanurae Coelurosauria Maniraptora Oviraptorosauria Oviraptoridae

Diet

Carnivore

Fossilsite

Djadochta Formation, Omnogov Aimak, Mongolia

Length

2 meter

Info

Genus - Typespecies - Skull

Complete (holtotype IGM 100/1127) skeleton (slightly disarticulated in the thorax). Khaan was hitherto referred to Ingenia, from which it differs in the structure of the manus. ’Khaan’ is Mongolian for ’lord’. Khaan is on par with Minmi as the shortest non-avian dinosaur genus name. The derivation of the trivial name Dr. Malcolm McKenna. Referred material: (IGM 100/1002) nearly complete skeleton (lacking the distal half of the tail). This specimen was found in close proximity to the holotype. (IGM 100/973) nearly complete skeleton.

Khaan mckennai is very similar to Conchoraptor (also lacks the specializations and dorsal crest of Oviraptor philoceratops) It differs from Conchoraptor in several features of the narial region. The proximal reduction of its third metacarpal is a distinctive autapomorphy of Khaan mckennai, otherwise the postcranium is unspecialized. Free uncinate processes are present interlaced with ribs. Differs from Ingenia in that metacarpal I is not extremely broad. This taxon was previously tentatively identified as Ingenia, but preparation of the postcranium revealed that it represents a new genus (mainly based on distinctive characters of the manus). The size of this species is similar to Conchoraptor and Ingenia, estimated at an average of 2 m (6-7 ft). [source Gunter Vanacker]

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Balanoff, A.M. &  Norell, M.A. (2012) Osteology of Khaan mckennai (Oviraptorosauria: Theropoda) Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History ( December 2012) 372 : 1-77

The monophyly of Oviraptoridae, a group of theropod dinosaurs, which share a uniquely bizarre morphology, has never been called into question due in large part to their unusual complex of characters. Despite a vivid recent history of discovery and broad public appeal the nature of their morphological diversity has not been explored extensively. Many previous descriptions of oviraptorid taxa are lost in the obscurity of hard-to-find journals, and many lack illustrations of what are now recognized as phylogenetically important characters.

The primary goal of this paper is to provide a relatively comprehensive descriptive morphology and illustrations for one member of Oviraptoridae, namely Khaan mckennai, with an emphasis on characters that can be used to establish a phylogenetic hypothesis for the taxon and group as a whole. K. mckennai is a small-bodied,
crestless oviraptorid that is known from pristine material that has been collected from the Late Cretaceous sediments of Mongolia.

Similar to other oviraptorids, it shares a wide number of features in common with extant birds. However, when these characters are put in the context of Oviraptorosauria, including relatively new, more basal forms like Incisivosaurus gauthieri and Caudipteryx zoui, character states such as extreme pneumatization of the skull or the reduction in the number of caudal vertebrae are found to be either homoplastic for the two groups or plesiomorphic for a more inclusive clade.

Source: BioOne