Khaan

Khaan is a small, crestless oviraptorid theropod discovered in the Late Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation of Mongolia. Reaching slightly over a metre in length and weighing around twenty kilograms, it coexisted with its larger relative Citipati in a semi-arid, windswept sand-dune environment. Unlike Citipati, Khaan lacked an elaborate bony crest on its snout, possessing a shorter, deeper skull equipped with powerful, toothless shearing jaws. It was an agile runner, moving swiftly on slender hind limbs to forage for plant matter, seeds, lizards, and small mammals. Khaan is notable for the discovery of two exceptionally complete skeletons preserved lying side-by-side, popularly dubbed Romeo and Juliet. Research on their pelvic anatomy and tail vertebrae has yielded vital insights into oviraptorid reproduction, sexual dimorphism, and the function of tail feathers used during courtship displays.

Two pristine specimens nicknamed 'Romeo and Juliet' were discovered lying side-by-side in ancient dune sand.

Where and when

Khaan lived in the Late Cretaceous, from 75 to 71 million years ago (Campanian age). Its remains come from Mongolia, in the Djadokhta Formation.

The numbers

Length 1.3 m (estimates run from 1.2 to 1.4 m). Mass about 19 kg. Hip height about 0.6 m. That is 0.8 human-lengths, or 0.12 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from near-complete skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, hip height.

Compare Khaan with a bus Place on the timeline