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James Aronis
wrote:
>_Deinocheirus_ possessed the most formidable set of forelimbs
on any creature
>hitherto discovered. It's arms and claws are unlike those found in its relative, >_Therizinosaurus_. Apparently the proportions of key bones in the forelimbs are not >the same. I belive the forearms are proportionately shorter than those in >_Therizinosaurus_. The claws are also very different being more curved and thicker >relative to length. Admittedly, they do appear like predatory devices from a casual >glance, but looks are often deceiving in the world of paleontology. > >In any case, it's difficult to determine with certainty in the absence of additional >material (most notably, the skull). I too, have often times speculated on the diet of >_Deinocheirus_ and its general appearance. Although in the past paleontologists had >proposed _Deinocheirus_ as a ~25' tall super-predator in a world where dinosaurs such >as _Tyrannosaurus_ were primarily scavengers, this hypothesis has since been revised. >Current speculation on _Deinocheirus'_ feeding habits runs the gamut from being >herbivorous, carnivorous, or even possibly omnivorous. All this speculation is a >result of not knowing what the skull was like. > >If _Deinocheirus_ was indeed carnivorous, it would have gone against the evolutionary >trend amongst giant predatory dinosaurs that rely on dentition for their main >weaponry. The forelimbs of theropods have seen a gradual decline in size throughout >their evolution. What evolutionary pressure would have been exerted on _Deinocheirus_ >to evolve huge arms and claws for killing, would largely have depended on the type of >prey it hunted. If indeed more complete _Deinocheirus_ remains are found one day, >and it proves to have been a predator after all, I would love to know what kind of >animal fell victim to those claws... >
>
>
>"THammann@t-online.de" wrote: > >> Hi all, >> >> once more a question about Deinocheirus. Hope not to get on your nerves too >> much...:-))) >> >> Some sources say that it was probably a plant eater and used its huge arms and >> claws for branching the trees. Other sources say that Deinocheirus could have >> fed on ants and needed its tools for digging. Older sources say that it was a >> huge predator which fed on huge prey or at least on fish. But what do the arms >> and claws tell the scientists? For which of these forms of feeding where they >> probably made? >> >> Thanks in advance for any information about that. >> Thomas Looks are
deceiving in paleontology. Deinocheirus is an Ornithomimosaur! The only
things Therizinosaurs and Ornithomimosaurs have in common is that they are
both Maniraptoriformes and they have beaks. Therizinosaurs were once known
as the "Segnosaurs." Just about all sources I have seen classify
Deinocheirus as an Ornithomimosaur. The size of
Deinocheirus (considering that it was an Ornithomimosaur) was probably
something between 21' and 36' long. Deinocheirus was possibly an
omnivore and it probably didn't use its arms for killing.
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