NAME

Meaning - Therizinosaurus means “scythe lizard”
Pronounced - THER-uh-ZEEN-oh-SAWR-us
Named By - E. A. Maleev
When Named - 1954
DIET

Unknown. Some paleontologists have speculated that Therizinosaurus used its giant claws to rip open giant termite nests, making Therizinosaurus an insectivore (an insect-eater), but many paleontologists think that it was an herbivore (plant-eater).
SIZE

Length - Roughly 23 ft (7 m) long
Height - 10 ft (3 m) tall at the hips
Weight - Very roughly 3 tons
WHEN IT LIVED

Late Cretaceous period, about 77-69 million years ago
WHERE IT LIVED

Fossils have been found in the southern Gobi Desert, Mongolia, Asia.
FOSSILS

Only three enormous, sickle-like claws have been found. When - The fossils were found in 1948.
CLASSIFICATION
  • Kingdom Animalia (animals)
  • Phylum Chordata (having a hollow nerve chord ending in a brain)
  • Class Archosauria (diapsids with socket-set teeth, etc.)
  • Order Saurischia - lizard-hipped dinosaurs
  • Suborder Theropoda - bipedal carnivores
  • Tetanura - advanced theropods
  • Infraorder Coelurosauria - lightly-built fast-running predators with hollow bones and large brains
  • Family Therizinosauria
  • Genus Therizinosaurus
  • Species T. cheloniformis (type species named by Maleev, 1954)
INTERESTING FACTS

Therizinosaurus’ huge arms were 8 feet (2.45 m) long; it had claws up to 28 inches (70 cm) long. The finger bones are larger than any other animal in history. When Therizinosaurus was found, it was first thought to be a giant turtle, not a dinosaur.