Name:
Alxasaurus (Greek for "Alxa desert lizard"); pronounced ALK-sah-SORE-us
Habitat:
Woodlands of Central Asia
Historical Period:
Middle Cretaceous (110-100 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 12 feet long and a few hundred pounds
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Big gut; narrow head and neck; large claws on front hands
About Alxasaurus:
Alxasaurus debuted on the world stage all at once: five specimens of this previously unknown theropod were discovered in Mongolia in 1988 by a joint Chinese-Canadian expedition. This bizarre-looking dinosaur was an early precursor of the even goofier-looking Therizinosaurus, and its swollen gut shows that it was one of the very rare theropods to have an entirely herbivorous diet. Its prominent front claws were probably used for ripping and shredding plants, rather than its fellow dinosaurs.
