Mocking Geese

The ornithomimids are general bird mimics, as the name states. Some of the more well known genera include an ostrich mimic (Ornithomimus) and a chicken mimic (Gallimimus). One of the slightly less well known bird mimics is a the goose mimic Anserimimus planinychus. A Soviet/Mongolian found Mongolian dinosaur, Anserimimus was discovered in the 1970's and described by Rinchen Barsbold in 1988. Like many other Mongolian dinosaurs discovered in joint Soviet/Mongolian expeditions, this dinosaur is known from a single set of remains. The body plan, overall, resembles other ornithomimid dinosaurs. The name Anserimimus is more traditional than it is descriptive. The dinosaur does not look anything like a goose. The specific epithet references the strange flat claws of Anserimimus. This anatomical characteristic sets Anserimimus apart from all other ornithomimids, but we will learn about that tomorrow.

Photo by Jordi Paya