Largest ostrich dinosaur found in North America weighs over 800kg

Scientists have found the remains of ornithomimosaurs, or “bird-mimicking dinosaurs.” Outwardly they resembled ostriches.

This species has a small head and long armsand strong legs. The new fossils, including the foot bones, are about 85 million years old, according to the analysis. These are the oldest remains found, allowing scientists to learn more about a hitherto unknown period in the evolution of North American dinosaurs.

Bones of ornithomimosaurs. Source: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266648.g004

The authors of the new study found thatthe fossils likely represent two separate species of ornithomimosaurs. One individual is very small, and the other is quite large, especially when comparing the proportions of the fossils and the pattern of growth inside the bones.

Scientists estimate that the larger species weighed more than800 kg, and the second individual was most likely still developing when it died. This makes it one of the largest ornithomimosaurs ever discovered.

Bones of ornithomimosaurs. Source: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266648.g004

The discovery of ostrich-like dinosaurs from Mississippi is among the largest in the world. The findings improve understanding of dinosaur habitats in eastern North America.

The Eutaw Formation is a geological formation in North America, within the US states of Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.

Read more:

NASA revealed the origin of Haumea - the most mysterious planet in the solar system

Living organisms have made Mars uninhabitable

The liver can work for more than 100 years: scientists told how this is possible