Gigantoraptor
Gee-gan-to-rap-torName meaning: Giant Thief
Time Period: Campanian (Late Cretaceous) 101-85 mya
Locations: Mongolia-Iren Dabasu Formation
Taxonomy: Theropoda-Oviraptorosauria-Caenagnathoidea-Caenagnathidae
Subspecies: G.erlianensis
Characteristics ~ ~ ~ ~
Gigantoraptor was a massive oviraptor standing at over 12 feet tall, 24 feet long and could weigh up to 2 tons. making it up to 3 times larger and 35 times heavier than any other member of its family. Gigantoraptor’s toothless beaked jaw was adapted for shearing through various leaves, plants, fruit and meat. It’s not likely an active predator with its long neck and legs were not adapted for hunting however it probably still hunted just more opportunistically to supplement its diet. Gigantoraptor likely wasn't as feathered as other oviraptorosaurs with its large size it did not benefit from them. They likely still had some feathers like on their long 3 fingered arms that they would use to shield their eggs from the sun. Gigantoraptor lived with the sauropod Sonidosaurus which it was actually taller than, hadrosaurs Bactrosaurus and Gilmoreosaurus, the small tyrannosaur Alectrosaurus, Archaeornithomimus and two Therizinosaurs Erliansaurus and Neimongosaurus.