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Cretaceous Peroid

Saurischian Dinosaurs

What were the unique characteristics of the Oviraptorosauria?

The Oviraptorosauria (or oviraptorosaurs, or “egg snatchers”) were once thought to be ornithomimosaurs, but are now considered to be maniraptorans. The oviraptorosaurs were human-sized, with distinctive skull features, grasping hands, and slender limbs. The skull is the most unique feature of these animals, with a prominent crest containing a large nasal cavity. The function of this crest is unknown, but it may have been used for heat regulation or making sounds. The short, deep skull also had toothless jaws, but they were well-muscled for crushing food. Originally thought to have eaten eggs, the oviraptorids are now thought to have used their muscled jaws to crush mollusk, or perhaps they were omnivorous, eating small animals and some plants.



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