Clam-Digging Dinosaurs

If Big Bird was as big as a giraffe, and had 3-foot long claws, what would he eat? Maybe ... clams.

David Gillette, author of Seismosaurus, and discovered of that dinosaur was visiting campus for three days last week. He discussed a puzzling new dig that is nearly completed.

His recent excavation of a nearly complete Nothronychus led me to speculate about what this creature was doing in shale laid 60 miles off where the Cretaceous coastline is known to have been. When this species was first discovered in 2001, it was hypothesized that it grabbed branches with its huge claws like the extinct ground sloth.

Dr. Gillette was as confused as I was. The fossil was found in the tropic shale (a marine sediment). Further, the carcass appeared to have been colonized to form the foundation for a mini-reef.

The obvious suggestion is that the animal died and floated there. However, "bloat and float" carcasses tend to follow the shoreline. Yet, this was definitely 60 miles out in a shallow sea.

So, imagine a creature built a little like a goose, about as big as a giraffe, with extremely long (8 foot) arms, with 3-foot of claw on the end. Feathers too! Click here, then scroll down for a drawing.

On top of this, this species is descended from meat-eating theropods, yet has a small head, and stubby teeth - similar to a plant eater.

So, I suggested through a question, that perhaps this creature was digging up clams. Dr. Gillette said that he wondered the same thing. There's no evidence to support this (but that isn't unusual with new species of dinosaur). However, Dr. Gillette did mention that there is more than a passing similarity between the teeth of other Nothronychus (the skull of his is missing) and those of crabeater seals.

Here's my prediction: the next generation of dads of dinosaur obsessed kids will be able to say categorically that the land-dwelling Therizinosaurs were walking quite far out on sandbars and reefs digging up mollusks to pry open with their claws.

Comments

[Steve]

Very cool post. And nice bit of speculation there. I suspect you are right about the next generation of dino-dads and Nothronychus' diet...and just think, you can say "I was there back when..." to your grandson/daughter someday.