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Archeologists unearth the largest fully preserved dinosaur claw
- Paleontologists unearthed the Duonychus tsogtbaatari, a dinosaur with evolutionary oddities in its hands, in Mongolia's Gobi Desert.
- Duonychus had two 30-centimeter-long claws, breaking the norm of three claws seen in its relatives.
- The unique dinosaur's claws were likely used for various purposes like grasping branches and self-defense.
- The fossil was discovered during the construction of a water pipeline and is a significant find in dinosaur evolution.
- Duonychus belonged to a rare group of herbivorous theropods called therizinosaurs and had two-fingered hands, a rarity among such dinosaurs.
- The discovery sheds light on how hand structures changed over time in the therizinosaur clade.
- The fossilized keratin sheath over one of Duonychus's claws is a significant find as keratin rarely fossilizes.
- The unique hand structure of Duonychus might be linked to its feeding habits or specific plant diet.
- The dinosaur stood approximately 3 meters tall, weighed around 260 kilograms, and likely had a feathered body.
- The discovery of Duonychus challenges previous understandings of dinosaur hand evolution, emphasizing specialization and unique adaptations.
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