Oviraptor, a dinosaur known for its unique appearance, featured a short, deep skull that likely sported a crest, and a toothless, horny beak similar to a parrot’s. This bipedal theropod, estimated to be around 1.6 to 2 meters (5.2-6.6 feet) long and weighing between 33 to 40 kilograms (73-88 pounds), had well-developed arms with three clawed fingers and long hind limbs. Its name, meaning “egg thief,” was given due to an early fossil discovery, though later findings revealed a more complex and surprising story about its behavior.
Its Ancient Home
Oviraptor lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 85 to 75 million years ago. Its fossils have been predominantly found in Central Asia, particularly within the Djadochta Formation of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. This region, known for its reddish sandstones, has yielded a wealth of dinosaur fossils, making it a globally significant location for paleontological discoveries. The Gobi Desert, despite being a harsh environment today, was a fertile ground for preserving ancient life, offering paleontologists an exposed record of past ecosystems.
The Djadochta Formation, especially famous for sites like Bayn Dzak (the Flaming Cliffs), is a testament to its rich fossil record. Its unique geological conditions allowed for the exceptional preservation of remains, providing crucial insights into the late stages of dinosaur evolution and the various species that once roamed this ancient landscape.
The World It Inhabited
During the Late Cretaceous, the Gobi Desert was quite different from its current arid state. It was a semi-arid environment characterized by sand dunes, ancient floodplains, and occasional oases and arroyos, suggesting a landscape with some freshwater sources. While primarily dry, the presence of these water sources and sparse vegetation, including hardy plants and possibly conifers, supported diverse life forms.
Oviraptor shared this habitat with a variety of other creatures. The Djadochta Formation is renowned for fossils of common inhabitants like Protoceratops and Velociraptor. Lizards, mammals, and some types of ankylosaurs also co-existed in this ancient ecosystem.
Evidence from Fossils
The initial discovery of Oviraptor in 1923 by the American Museum of Natural History expedition, led by Roy Chapman Andrews, influenced its early interpretation. The first Oviraptor skeleton was found atop a nest of eggs, initially believed to belong to Protoceratops. This association led Henry Fairfield Osborn, who described the dinosaur, to name it “egg thief” or “egg seizer.”
However, subsequent fossil discoveries in the 1990s challenged this initial assumption. Numerous oviraptorid specimens were found in brooding poses, crouched over clutches of eggs, similar to modern birds. These later finds, particularly those with preserved embryos, showed Oviraptor was incubating its own offspring, demonstrating parental care. The Djadochta Formation was instrumental in these discoveries, providing evidence of Oviraptor’s parental behavior.