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sharp-clawed runner
Enigmosaurus
Say it like this: “ee-NIG-mo-SAWR-us”
Enigmosaurus mongoliensis
Enigmosaurus ate plants and walked on two legs. It lived in the Late Cretaceous. Bones have been found in Mongolia.
- When
- Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian · Turonian) · roughly 100.5 to 89.8 million years ago
- Named in
- 1983 · Barsbold, R.
- Hip height
- Not established
- Length
- 5 m · 16 ft
- Weight
- 454–907 kg · 1,001–2,000 lb
- Found in
- Mongolia · Bayanshiree
- Food and walking
- Herbivore · Two legs
- Kind
- sharp-clawed runner · Theropod
- Family branch
- Therizinosauroidea
The story in short
In 1983, R. Barsbold published the name Enigmosaurus.
Fossils referred to Enigmosaurus date to the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian · Turonian), roughly 100.5 to 89.8 million years ago. Finds come from Mongolia, including the Bayanshiree Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on two legs.
Published estimates put Enigmosaurus at a length near 5 m and a body mass around 454–907 kg.
On the family tree it sits in Therizinosauroidea, among the theropod dinosaurs.
Close relatives
Alxasaurus
Alxasaurus elesitaiensis
Early Cretaceous (Aptian) · roughly 121.4 to 113.2 million years ago
Beipiaosaurus
Beipiaosaurus inexpectus
Early Cretaceous (Barremian) · roughly 125.8 to 121.4 million years ago
Erliansaurus
Erliansaurus bellamanus
Late Cretaceous (Campanian) · roughly 83.6 to 72.2 million years ago