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"Only now do we know the true story- Megarachne was a giant prehistoric sea scorpion." |
Oviraptor is one of the most mysterious dinosaurs ever found. This creature had the beak of a plant-eater but the muscular build and sharp claws of a killer; scientists don't know exactly what it ate. Also, this dino's fossils have been found near piles of eggs. Some experts thought that the oviraptor was an egg-thief, but new evidence is changing their minds. Finding more fossils may be the only way to solve the mystery.
Cracker: Oviraptor had the most unusual mouth in the world of dinosaurs. This creature had a pointed beak, but two small teeth grew from the roof of its mouth. Oviraptor may have used these as tools to crack open mollusk shells.
Hothead: The small crest atop this dinosaur's head was spongy inside with hollow passages that led to its nose. The air oviraptor breathed may have traveled through the crest to cool the creature's brain.
From Pirate to Parent[]
Fossils reveal details about this dino's life.
The first oviraptor fossils found were near the remains of what were thought to be another creature's eggs, so scientists thought the dinosaur survived by raiding nests and eating their eggs. However, paleontologists later saw that the eggs around the fossil were the oviraptor's own. This changed the entire view of the dino's life. Instead of a thief, it is now seen as a caring parent that protected its eggs, much like birds do today, and probably brought fresh kills to its hatchlings.
Main Menu: Some think oviraptor's beak is the tool of a plant-eater, but many scientists debate this. Its jaws were muscled like a carnivore's, and the skull of a baby velociraptor was found in a fossilized oviraptor nest.
Give a Hand: Strong arms and sharp, horn-tipped claws would have helped this beast kill small dinosaurs. Oviraptor's hands folded inward to help it grab victims, and also shovel sand over its eggs.
Storm of the Century[]
- Taking good care of her unborn young, this female oviraptor turns her eggs over so they grow warm all the way around.
- As she sits on her nest, a fierce sandstorm blows through the air. The mother stays on her nest to protect her eggs from the elements.
- The storm blows on and buries the devoted mother. Millions of years later, her bones and her eggs will have turned into fossils.
Trivia[]
- The oviraptor is featured in Who Am I? on Monster Mania 24.
- Oviraptor is one of the four Monsters of the Past to not have a Trading Card, the other three being Parasaurolophus, Mussaurus, and Ambulocetus.
- Like most paleo media in the 2000s, Oviraptor is depicted with scales. It is now believed that Oviraptorids had feathers.
- It is also now believed that Oviraptor was an omnivore.
- The subheading “Storm of the Century” is a possible reference to two things: It’s a weather term attributed to a few storms (notably a 1993 northeastern U.S. storm), but it’s also the name of a 1999 Stephen King television miniseries.