Gallimimus
Gallimimus (chicken mimic) was a fast-running dinosaur. It had a long, thin, flattened, toothless, horny beak, a small head, and a relatively large brain. Gallimimus lived in the Upper Cretaceous, about 75-70 million years ago.
| Gallimimus Temporal range: Upper Cretaceous
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| Gallimimus at the Natural History Museum | |
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| Genus: | Gallimimus
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Description
The bottom front part of its beak was shaped like a shovel. It had large eyes positioned on opposite sites of its head, ruling out binocular vision (depth perception). It had a long neck, long tail, and long legs. Gallimimus was about 13-20 ft (4-6 m) long, was 6.3 ft (1.9 m) tall at the hips, and may have weighed about 970 pounds (440 kg).
These were probably among the fastest of all dinosaurs.[1] Like many other coelurosaurs, the ornithomimid hide was probably feathered rather than scaly.
In popular culture
The dinosaur appeared on-screen, in the motion picture Jurassic Park.
Gallimimus Media
Cretaceous-aged dinosaur fossil localities of Mongolia; Gallimimus fossils were collected in area A
Three skeletons, including the holotype (right) and a juvenile (middle), during a temporary exhibition in CosmoCaixa
Specimens which were repatriated to Mongolia after having been smuggled to the US, in Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs
Size chart of G. bullatus with a human 180 cm (5 ft 11 in), based on Scott Hartman's skeletal. Size estimate based on G. S. Paul[1]
Reconstructed skull and neck, NHM
Life restoration showing an adult with feathers, based on those known from the related Ornithomimus
Pneumatic structures in the caudal vertebrae of Shenzhousaurus (A), and the cervical (B, C, D), dorsal (E), sacral (F, G) and caudal (H) vertebrae of Gallimimus
Hindlimb bones of ZPAL MgD-I/8, Museum of Evolution of Polish Academy of Sciences
Reconstructed skull and neck in front view, NHM
Skull in Dinosauria Museum
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References
- ↑ Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. 2012. Dinosaurs: the most complete, up-to-date encyclopedia for dinosaur lovers of all ages, Winter 2011 Appendix.