Gigantoraptor

Gigantoraptor was a truly colossal oviraptorosaur unearthed in the Late Cretaceous rocks of Inner Mongolia, China. While most oviraptorosaurs were bird-sized to turkey-sized creatures, Gigantoraptor stood roughly as tall as a tyrannosaur, stretching over eight metres long and weighing around two tonnes. Known from a substantial partial skeleton discovered by accident during a documentary shoot, it possessed exceptionally long, slender hindlimbs indicating it was an agile runner despite its immense bulk. Its toothless, beak-like jaws hint at an omnivorous or herbivorous diet, though its exact feeding strategy remains debated. Although direct feather impressions have not been preserved with the bones, its close evolutionary relationships strongly imply it was covered in extensive plumage, resembling a titanic, flightless bird stalking across the ancient Asian floodplains.

It is by far the largest known oviraptorosaur, growing to over eight metres in length.

Where and when

Gigantoraptor lived in the Late Cretaceous, from 96 to 89 million years ago (Cenomanian-Turonian age). Its remains come from China, in the Iren Dabasu Formation.

The numbers

Length 8.3 m (estimates run from 8 to 8.5 m). Mass about 1.7 t. Hip height about 3.5 m. That is 4.9 human-lengths, or 0.74 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, first ma, last ma, hip height.

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