Corythoraptor
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Corythoraptor () is a genus of oviraptorid dinosaur from the late Maastrichtian Nanxiong Formation of South China. It contains one species, C. jacobsi, known from a single well-preserved skeleton, and named after paleontologist Louis L. Jacobs. It bears a tall crest similar to that of the modern cassowary, and possibly had a similar functionality of display and resonance to detect lower-frequency sounds.
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Article
12 sectionsContents
- Discovery
- Description
- Skull
- Postcranial skeleton
- Classification
- Paleobiology
- Diet
- Ontogeny
- Function of crest
- Paleoenvironment
- See also
- References
Corythoraptor () is a genus of oviraptorid dinosaur from the late Maastrichtian Nanxiong Formation of South China. It contains one species, C. jacobsi, known from a single well-preserved skeleton, and named after paleontologist Louis L. Jacobs. It bears a tall crest similar to that of the modern cassowary, and possibly had a similar functionality of display and resonance to detect lower-frequency sounds.
Like other oviraptorids, the bones of Corythoraptor were heavily pneumatized with many air pockets. Microanalysis of the bones indicates seasonal growth spurts, and the type specimen probably died at the age of 6 or 7, meaning growth continued into at least the 8th year of development. The type specimen reached in length. Oviraptorids may have predominantly inhabited arid environments and ate xerophytic (drought-resistant) plants, nuts, and seeds. However, Corythoraptor coexisted with six other oviraptorid genera, and they may have all eaten different foods (niche partitioning).