Describer

Xu, Tang & Wang, 1999

Time

Cretaceous Early Aptian

Classification

Saurischia Theropoda Tetanurae Coelurosauria Therizinosauroidea

Diet

Carnivore

Fossilsite

Yixian Formation, Sihetun locality near Beipiao, Liaoning, China

Length

2.2 meter

Info

Genus - Typespecies - Skull

These fragmentary remains discovered in 1996 also contains a number of articulated bone pieces. It gives us more precious information on a little-understood group of dinosaurs, and distinguishes itself as the fourth non-avian theropod dinosaur genus found with the remains of integumentary fibers -- all from the same region of China.

Beipiaosaurus inexpectus is named after the city near the locality where the specimen was found; and is referring to the surprising features in this animal. Holotype. IVPP V11559 (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology & Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China).\\\\\\\"

Beipiaosaurus inexpectus differs from other therizinosauroids in having shorter and more bulbous tooth crowns, a larger skull, a tridactyl pes with a splint-like proximal first metatarsal, a shallow anterior iliac process, a long manus (10% longer than a femur), a long tibia (275 mm > 265 mm of the femur), an elongated lateral articular surface on the palmar side of manual phalanx I-1, and proximally compressed metatarsals III and IV.