[D] Chirostenotes [sG]
Describer
Gilmore, 1924
Time
Cretaceous Late Campanian Maastrichtian
Classification
Saurischia Theropoda Tetanurae Coelurosauria Maniraptora Oviraptorosauria Caenagnathidae
Diet
Carnivore
Fossilsite
Canada, US
Fall Under
Chirostenotes pergracilis
Length
2 meter
Info
Genus
Chirostenotes (Gilmore, 1924) > Chirostenotes pergracilis (Gilmore, 1924) >> Macrophalangia canadensis (Sternberg, 1932) |> Chirostenotes elegans (Sues, 1997) > Elmisaurus elegans (Parks, 1933) >> Ornithomimus elegans (Parks, 1933)
(\\\"slender hand\\\" \\\"narrow-handed (dinosaur)\\\") 2 partially complete manus. Discovery of un unprepared skeleton in a 60-year old museum collection has recently revealed that postcranial skeletons previously identified as Chirostenotes and Macrophalangia are caennagnathids.
The digital proportions and hand configuration are comparable to those of Deinonychus antirrhopus and Velociraptor mongoliensis, hence the suggested family assignment. There is no evidence that dromaeosaurids were particularly fast as theropods go. In fact, dromaeosaurids have shorter and stockier legs than most other theropods of the same size! Their hindlimbs seem more specialized for power than high speed.