Anzu

Name meaning: Feathered tyrant

Time Period: Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) 67-66 mya

Locations: North/South Dakota/Montana- Hell Creek Formation

Taxonomy: Theropoda-Oviraptorosauria-Caenagnathidae-Caenagnathinae

Subspecies: A. wyliei

Characteristics ~ ~ ~ ~

Anzu weighed between 440-660 pounds 3.5 meters long, and stood over 2 meters. It had a toothless beak like all of its family, with a decently flexible jaw. Anzu was most likely omnivorous, eating low-growth vegetation as well as small animals and baby dinosaurs. It likely was more carnivorous than herbivorous, using its size and long, strong legs to chase after prey and either kick them with its feet, slash them with its claws, or kill with its strong beak. These beaks had a large but frail crest connected to them at the top of the head for display. Like all other oviraptorosaurs, it was feathered to what extent is unknown, but it likely had a heavy coat with possibly elaborate colors like a cassowary. In particular, they had feathers on their long 3 three-fingered arms that would help them cover their eggs from the sun. And a tail fan on their relatively short tails. Anzu's social life is unknown; they could have been social or independent creatures, or could have formed gatherings for mating or protecting eggs. Living in the Hell Creek formation, Anzu coexisted with some of the most iconic dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus, Edmontosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Pachycephalosaurus, and Triceratops. With Tyrannosaurus being their main predator, and troodontids/raptors, Pectinodon, and Acheroraptor eating juveniles and unprotected eggs.

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History & Fossils ~ ~ ~ ~

In 1998, Fred Nuss and Tyler Lyson in total found 3 different partial skeletons of Anzu in a south dakotah ranch. With a 4th specimen from 1993 consisting of a single jaw now being attributed to Anzu. With these around 75% to 80% of Anzu's skeleton is known the most out of any North American Oviraptorosaur allowing us to understand their appearance, which before Anzu, all were only known by fragmentary bones like the species hagryphus is only known by a single hand. Anzu's name was originally going to mean "chicken from hell" but the Greek/Latin translations didn't sound right. Instead it was named after Anzu a daemon from Ancient Mesopotamian religion that had very griffin like qualities.

Media Deptictions ~ ~ ~ ~

Saurian Anzu was meant to be one of the playable animals in the game Saurian, a dinosaur survival game set in the hell creek formation. Im not sure about the development status of this game if it's even coming out. But I like it's Anzu concept art with the species being heavily sexualy dimophic with the males being twice as large with bright blue feathers compared to the females. Male and Female Anzu were probably the same size, but I like the speculation reminds me of Pteranodon