Watch a fictionalised encounter with Mononykus
Image: Pavel Riha; Words: Wikipedia; Design: il.lustr.us Media
Mononykus (pronounced /məˈnɒnɨkəs/, meaning "one claw") was a theropod dinosaur from late Cretaceous Mongolia (Nemegt Formation, about 70 million years ago) with long, skinny legs. It moved about on two legs, was very nimble, and could run at high speeds, something that would have been useful in the open desert plains where it lived.
It had a small skull, and its teeth were small and pointed, suggesting that it ate insects and small animals, such as lizards and mammals. Large eyes allowed Mononykus to hunt by night, when it was cooler and there would have been fewer predators about.
Mononykus was an Alvarezsaurid and had very strange, stubby forearms with one large, approximately 7.5cm long claw (hence its name). The purpose of these highly specialized arms is still a mystery, but some scientists have suggested they were used to break open termite mounds (like modern anteaters), and therefore it is possible that they fed primarily on insects.
Watch a fictionalised encounter with Mononykus
Image: Pavel Riha; Words: Wikipedia; Design: il.lustr.us Media
