Name:
Avimimus (Greek for "bird mimic"); pronounced AV-ih-MIME-us
Habitat:
Plains of central Asia
Historical Period:
Late Cretaceous (75-70 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 5 feet long and 25 pounds
Diet:
Meat and insects
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Bird-like wings; teeth in upper jaw
About Avimimus:
Despite their similar names, the "bird-mimic" Avimimus was very different from the "bird-mimic" Ornithomimus. The latter was a large, speedy, ostrich-like dinosaur, while the former was a small "dino-bird" of central Asia, notable for its numerous feathers, plumed tail, and bird-like feet. What places Avimimus firmly in the dinosaur category is the primitive teeth in its upper jaw, as well as its similarities to other, less bird-like oviraptors of the Cretaceous period (including the poster genus for the group, Oviraptor).
