Two-fingered dinosaur used its enormous claws to eat leaves

A groundbreaking discovery has been made at a Mongolian construction site, where a new species of dinosaur with the largest fully preserved claw ever found has been unearthed. This bipedal, herbivorous creature possessed only two fingers on each hand, possibly indicating a unique adaptation for grasping branches and pulling them towards its mouth.

The fossil, estimated to be 90 million years old, was initially discovered near Khanbogd in the Gobi desert back in 2012. After thorough examination and analysis, the dinosaur has been officially named Duonychus tsogtbaatari, with the genus name translating to “two claws” in reference to its distinctive feature of only having two fingers. The species name is a tribute to Mongolian paleontologist Khishigjav Tsogtbaatar.

Duonychus is considered a smaller relative of the well-known Therizinosaurus, a dinosaur featured in the film Jurassic World Dominion. Research led by Yoshitsugu Kobayashi from Hokkaido University in Japan estimates that Duonychus would have measured around 3 meters in length and weighed approximately 270 kilograms.

Kobayashi emphasizes the significance of this discovery, stating, “The identification of Duonychus tsogtbaatari is of great importance due to it being the first known therizinosaur with only two fingers. Most theropods, including other therizinosaurs, typically possessed three functional fingers, making the presence of only two fingers in this species quite unexpected.”

Among theropods, five groups are known to have evolved with only two fingers, with Tyrannosaurus being one of the most famous examples.

The remarkable feature of Duonychus lies in its nearly 30-centimeter-long claws, with preserved keratin sheaths – the same material found in human fingernails – providing valuable insights into the dinosaur’s physical characteristics.

According to team member Darla Zelenitsky from the University of Calgary, Canada, the discovery of a two-fingered therizinosaur was highly unexpected, stating, “The uniqueness of finding a two-fingered therizinosaur was truly astonishing to us.”

Zelenitsky further elaborates on the unique nature of the discovery by highlighting the fully preserved 3D dinosaur claw, stating, “This claw represents the largest fully preserved 3D dinosaur claw ever found. Unlike typical fossils where the claw is outlined in the surrounding rock, this claw is three-dimensional and encases the underlying finger bone, similar to the structure found in the paws of animals like dogs and cats.”

The researchers hypothesize that the specialized claws of Duonychus served an evolutionary purpose in gripping and pulling vegetation. With fewer fingers, each digit could exert more strength and flexibility, enabling a more precise and controlled grip, as explained by Kobayashi.

“The curvature of the claws and their extreme flexibility suggest a heightened ability to hook onto branches or clusters of leaves with ease,” Kobayashi adds. “Having only two fingers likely provided a more efficient and accurate method of grasping compared to having three fingers, which may have been cumbersome.”

Dinosaur hunting in the Gobi desert, Mongolia

Embark on an exhilarating and one-of-a-kind expedition to uncover dinosaur remains in the vast wilderness of the Gobi desert, one of the world’s most famous palaeontological hotspots.