Open Paleo

Archaeornithomimus

Russell, 1972 AHR-kee-or-NITH-o-MIEM-us

From Greek archaios (ἀρχαῖος) meaning 'ancient' + ornithos (ὄρνιθος) meaning 'bird' + mimos (μῖμος) meaning 'mimic'; overall meaning 'ancient bird mimic'.

89.8–66.0 million years ago Coniacian–Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Archaeornithomimus is a genus of ornithomimosaurian theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Iren Dabasu Formation of Inner Mongolia, China.

Diagnosis

  1. Five sacral vertebrae
  2. Short, relatively robust limb bones
  3. Coracoid with a rounded anterior margin and a well-developed biceps tubercle
  4. Metacarpal I short relative to metacarpals II and III
  5. Ischium with an anteriorly expanded distal end and a pubic boot with a relatively flat ventral surface
  6. Proximal end of metatarsal III constricted, not visible in anterior view when the metatarsals are articulated

Species

Archaeornithomimus asiaticus (Gilmore, 1933)

Type species

First named as Ornithomimus asiaticus

Named for the Asian provenance of the fossils, which were recovered from Inner Mongolia, China.

Lectotype
AMNH 6565 , American Museum of Natural History
Material
Incomplete pes consisting of distal tarsals III and IV, metatarsals II-IV, and the first phalanx of digit IV.
Horizon
upper Iren Dabasu Formation, Coniacian–Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 89.8–66.0 million years ago
Locality
Kaisen Quarry, Inner Mongolia, China

References

  1. Russell, D. A. (1972). Ostrich Dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Western Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 9(4): 375-402. Canadian Science Publishing. doi:10.1139/e72-031 russell1972a
  2. Gilmore, C. W. (1933). On the dinosaurian fauna of the Iren Dabasu Formation. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 67(2): 23-78.

    Original description of the species as Ornithomimus asiaticus on cotypes AMNH 6565 (pes) and AMNH 6569 (manus); source of the lectotype material.

    gilmore1933a
  3. Smith, D.; Galton, P. (1990). Osteology of Archaeornithomimus asiaticus (Upper Cretaceous, Iren Dabasu Formation, People's Republic of China). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 10(2): 255-265. doi:10.1080/02724634.1990.10011811

    First comprehensive description of the fossils; designates AMNH 6565 as the lectotype, Gilmore (1933) having selected no holotype.

    smith1990a
  4. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate.

    jones2026c