Unveiling Duonychus: The Two-Fingered Dinosaur Enigma

A new dinosaur species, Duonychus tsogtbaatari, was discovered in Mongolia's Gobi Desert. This therizinosaurs member featured unique two-fingered hands with large claws, unlike others in its group. Despite being related to carnivorous theropods, Duonychus was herbivorous and lived during the Cretaceous Period about 90 million years ago.

In a remarkable paleontological discovery in Mongolia's Gobi Desert, fossils of a new dinosaur species, Duonychus tsogtbaatari, have emerged. This unusual theropod had distinctive two-fingered hands with large claws, diverging from its therizinosaur relatives, which typically feature three fingers. Despite its relation to meat-eating dinosaurs, Duonychus was an herbivore.

This dinosaur measured about 10 feet in length and weighed around 575 pounds, living approximately 90 to 95 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. Its claws, about a foot in length, may have been used for various tasks, including feeding on plants, defense, and species recognition.

Co-author Darla Zelenitsky highlighted the rarity of a keratin sheath being preserved on one claw, offering insight into its functional uses. The discovery adds to the five known theropod lineages with digit reduction, suggesting a specialized feeding behavior for Duonychus.

(With inputs from agencies.)