Gallimimus
PALAEONTOLOGICAL RECORD
Gallimimus is a genus of theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Mongolia during the Late Cretaceous period. Several fossils in various stages of growth were discovered by Polish-Mongolian expeditions in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia during the 1960s; a large skeleton discovered in this region was made the holotype specimen of the new genus and species Gallimimus bullatus in 1972. The generic name means "chicken mimic", referring to the similarities between its neck vertebrae and those of the Galliformes. The specific name is derived from bulla, a golden capsule worn by Roman youth, in reference to a bulbous structure at the base of the skull of Gallimimus. At the time it was named, the fossils of Gallimimus represented the most complete and best preserved ornithomimid material yet discovered, and the genus remains one of the best known members of the group.
DISCOVERY
Found in the Gobi Desert of Mongolia in the early 1960s.
DIETARY PROFILE
Opportunistic omnivore lacking teeth.
NOTABLE PALAEONTOLOGY FACTS
- The largest ornithomimid known, approaching the weight of a modern horse.
- It possessed large eyes placed on the sides of its head, granting massive peripheral vision to dodge predators.
HOLLYWOOD INACCURACIES
- Entirely lacked feathers in the film. Real Gallimimus was heavily feathered.
- Shown exclusively flocking, behavior extrapolated from modern birds.
