Open Paleo

Pelecanimimus

Pérez-Moreno et al., 1994 pel-e-KAN-i-MIEM-us

From Latin pelecanus (pelican) and mimus (mimic); meaning "pelican mimic", referring to the long snout and throat pouch.

125.8–121.4 million years ago Barremian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Pelecanimimus is an extinct genus of basal ("primitive") ornithomimosaurian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Spain. It is notable for possessing more teeth than any other member of the Ornithomimosauria (or any other theropod), most of which were toothless.

Diagnosis

  1. About 220 teeth total (7 premaxillary, ~30 maxillary, ~75 dentary) — highest tooth count within Theropoda
  2. Teeth heterodont, unserrated, with basal constriction between crown and root; no interdental plates
  3. Maxillary teeth larger than dentary teeth; maxilla has teeth only in anterior third with sharp edge posteriorly
  4. Skull long and shallow (maximum length ~4.5× maximum height) with long snout resembling Gallimimus
  5. Dorsal part of lacrimal forms small prominence over prefrontal level, resembling Allosaurus
  6. Preserved hyoid apparatus V-shaped, apex rostrally directed, one-third skull length — first hyoid known in Ornithomimosauria
  7. Sternum large, probably paired with rib margin — unknown in Ornithomimosauria prior to this specimen
  8. Ulna and radius tightly adhered distally, possibly syndesmotic
  9. Metacarpal ratio 0.81:1:0.98; three digits subequal in length and nearly parallel
  10. Preserved integumentary impressions below skull with subparallel fibers perpendicular to bone surface

Species

Pelecanimimus polyodon Pérez-Moreno et al., 1994

Type species

From Ancient Greek 'polys' meaning 'many' and 'odous' meaning 'tooth', referring to the exceptionally large number of teeth (approximately 220) possessed by this ornithomimosaur.

Holotype
MCCM-LH 7777 , Museo de las Ciencias de Castilla-La Mancha
Material
Articulated anterior half of skeleton, including skull, complete cervical and almost complete dorsal vertebral series, ribs, pectoral girdle, sternum, right forelimb and nearly complete left forelimb.
Horizon
Calizas de La Huérguina Formation, Barremian, Early Cretaceous , 125.8–121.4 million years ago
Locality
Las Hoyas, Cuenca, Spain Pérez-Moreno and colleagues (1994) give the Las Hoyas horizon as "Upper Hauterivian–Lower Barremian"; Ortega and colleagues (2010), two of whose authors wrote the 1994 paper, date the same site "Upper Barremian".

References

  1. Ortega, F.; Escaso, F.; Sanz, J. L. (2010). A bizarre, humped Carcharodontosauria (Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain. Nature 467(7312): 203-206. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/nature09181

    Dates the Las Hoyas site "Upper Barremian".

    ortega2010a
  2. Pérez-Moreno, B. P.; Luis Sanz, J.; Buscalioni, A. D.; Moratalla, J. J.; Ortega, F.; Rasskin-Gutman, D. (1994). A unique multitoothed ornithomimosaur dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain. Nature 370(6488): 363-367. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1038/370363a0 pérez-moreno1994a
  3. Jones, B. (2026). The Princeton Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: Theropods. Princeton University Press.

    Source of the hip height estimate, and the appearance features.

    jones2026c