Conchoraptor

{{Short description|Extinct genus of dinosaurs}} {{speciesbox | fossil_range = [[Late Cretaceous]], {{fossil range|Maastrichtian}} | image = Conchoraptor in nest.jpg | image_caption = Cast mounted in a nesting position | genus = Conchoraptor | species = gracilis | authority = Barsbold, 1986 | display_parents = 3 | parent_authority = [[Rinchen Barsbold|Barsbold]], 1986 }}

'''''Conchoraptor''''' (meaning "[[conch]] plunderer") is a [[genus]] of [[oviraptorid]] [[dinosaur]]s that lived in [[Asia]] during the [[Late Cretaceous]] epoch, about 70 million years ago. It is known from the [[Barun Goyot]] and possibly the [[Nemegt Formation|Nemegt]] formation of [[Mongolia]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Fanti |first=F. |last2=Cantelli |first2=L. |last3=Currie |first3=P. J. |last4=Funston |first4=G. F. |last5=Cenni |first5=N. |last6=Catellani |first6=S. |last7=Chinzorig |first7=T. |last8=Tsogtbaatar |first8=K. H. |last9=Barsbold |first9=R. |date=2024-09-01 |title=High-resolution UAV maps of the Gobi Desert provide new insights into the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667124000892 |journal=Cretaceous Research |volume=161 |article-number=105916 |doi=10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105916 |issn=0195-6671|doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Discovery== [[File:Conchoraptor skeleton.jpg|thumb|left|Subadult specimen]] When first discovered in the [[Red Beds of Hermiin Tsav]] of the [[Maastrichtian]] [[Baruungoyot Formation]] by a Polish-Mongolian expedition in 1971, scientists believed that ''Conchoraptor'' was a juvenile ''[[Oviraptor]]'' and that the animal's missing crest would have begun to grow when the animal reached [[sexual maturity]]. Further study of multiple skeletons showed that ''Conchoraptor'' belonged to a new genus. The hands of ''Conchoraptor'' were a major reason scientists decided to split it off from ''Oviraptor''. Anatomically the hands seemed to be an [[evolution]]ary intermediate between those of ''[[Ajancingenia]]'' and ''Oviraptor'', making it obvious that this animal was not a member of a known species.<ref name="ageofdinosaursconchoraptor">{{cite book|year=1993|chapter=Conchoraptor|title=The Age of Dinosaurs|author1=Dodson, Peter|author2=Britt, Brooks|author3=Carpenter, Kenneth|author4=Forster, Catherine A.|author5=Gillette, David D.|author6=Norell, Mark A.|author7=Olshevsky, George|author8=Parrish, J. Michael|author9= eishampel, David B.|publisher=Publications International, LTD|page=136|isbn=0-7853-0443-6}}</ref>

The [[type species]] of this new genus, ''Conchoraptor gracilis'', was described and named by [[Rinchen Barsbold|Barsbold]], in 1986. The generic name is derived from Greek ''konkhè'', "mussel", and [[Latin]] ''raptor'', "plunderer".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Barsbold|first1=R.|year=1986|chapter=Raubdinosaurier Oviraptoren|editor1=Vorobyeva, E.I.|title=Herpetologische Untersuchungen in der Mongolischen Volksrepublik|publisher=Akademia Nauk SSSR|pages=210–223}}</ref> This name reflects Barsbold's hypothesis that oviraptorids, rather than preying primarily upon eggs as had been traditionally thought, may have been specialized to feed on [[mollusk]]s.<ref name="ageofdinosaursconchoraptor"/> The [[specific name (zoology)|specific name]] means "gracile" in Latin. The [[holotype]] is '''MPC-D 100/20''', a partial skull.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Funston |first1=G.F. |last2=Mendonca |first2=S.E. |last3=Currie |first3=P.J. |last4=Barsbold |first4=R. |date=2018 |title=Oviraptorosaur anatomy, diversity and ecology in the Nemegt Basin |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0031018217306065 |journal=Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology |language=en |volume=494 |pages=101–120 |doi=10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.10.023|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Numerous specimens were formally referred to the species later, including some recovered from the [[Barun Goyot Formation]].<ref>{{cite journal|author1=Foster, W.|author2=Norell, Mark A.|author3=Balanoff, Amy M.|year=2025|title=Two New Specimens of ''Conchoraptor gracilis'' (Theropoda: Oviraptorosauria) from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia|journal=American Museum Novitates|issue=4033|pages=1–66|doi=10.1206/4033.1}}</ref> Possible remains are known from the Nemegt Formation.<ref name=":0" />

==Description== [[File:Conchoraptor Restoration.png|thumb|[[Paleoart|Life restoration]]]] ''Conchoraptor'' was a small dinosaur, only {{convert|1|–|2|m|ft|sp=us}} in length. Unlike many other [[oviraptorid]]s, ''Conchoraptor'' lacked a head crest. Like its relatives, it lacked teeth. Instead of teeth, oviraptorids had powerful beaks, possibly adapted to crushing [[mollusk]] shells.<ref name="ageofdinosaursconchoraptor"/> The skull of ''Conchoraptor'' was heavily pneumatised, with most of the bones hollow.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kundrát|first1=M.|year=2007|title=Avian-like attributes of a virtual brain model of the oviraptorid theropod ''Conchoraptor gracilis''|journal=Naturwissenschaften|volume=94|issue=6|pages=499–504|doi=10.1007/s00114-007-0219-1|pmid=17277940|s2cid=25723660 }}</ref>

==Classification== ''Conchoraptor'' was by Barsbold assigned to the [[Oviraptoridae]] in 1986. Recent analyses show it was a member of the oviraptorid subfamily Ingeniinae (now Heyuanninae). The [[cladogram]] below follows an analysis by Fanti ''et al.'', 2012.<ref name="fanti2012">{{cite journal|last1=Fanti|first1=F.|last2=Currie|first2=P.J.| last3=Badamgarav|first3=D.|year=2012|title=New Specimens of ''Nemegtomaia'' from the Baruungoyot and Nemegt Formations (Late Cretaceous) of Mongolia]|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=7|issue=2|article-number=e31330|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0031330|pmid=22347465 |pmc=3275628 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

{{clade| style=font-size:90%;line-height:90% |label1='''Oviraptoridae''' |1={{clade |1=''[[Oviraptor]]'' |label2=unnamed |2={{clade |1=''[[Rinchenia]]'' |2=''[[Citipati (dinosaur)|Citipati]]'' }} |label3=unnamed |3={{clade |1=''[[Khaan]]'' |label2=unnamed |2={{clade |1=''Conchoraptor'' |label2=unnamed |2={{clade |1=''[[Machairasaurus]]'' |label2= unnamed |2={{clade |1="Ingenia" (=''[[Ajancingenia]]'') |label2= unnamed |2={{clade |1=''[[Nemegtomaia]]'' |2=''[[Heyuannia]]'' }} }} }} }} }} }} }}

==Paleobiology== ===Senses=== [[File:Conchoraptor skeleton from Mongolia.jpg|thumb|Specimen from Khermeen Tsav]] Internal connections between both ears functioned as resonance chambers and improved hearing.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kundrát|first1=M.|last2=Janácek|first2=J.|year=2007|title=Cranial pneumatization and auditory perceptions of the oviraptorid dinosaur ''Conchoraptor gracilis'' (Theropoda, Maniraptora) from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia|journal=Naturwissenschaften|volume=94|issue=9|pages=769–778|pmid=17530209|doi=10.1007/s00114-007-0258-7|s2cid=40622976 |url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/15526/files/PAL_E2934.pdf }}</ref>

===Feeding=== Originally it was suggested that Conchoraptor had a diet that primarily consisted of mollusks.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Currie |first1=Philip J. |last2=Godfrey |first2=Stephen J. |last3=Nessov |first3=Lev |date=1993-10-01 |title=New caenagnathid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) specimens from the Upper Cretaceous of North America and Asia |journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |volume=30 |issue=10 |pages=2255–2272 |doi=10.1139/e93-196 |issn=0008-4077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Longrich |first1=Nicholas R. |last2=Currie |first2=Philip J. |last3=Zhi-Ming |first3=Dong |date=2010-09-16 |title=A new oviraptorid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia |journal=Palaeontology |volume=53 |issue=5 |pages=945–960 |doi=10.1111/j.1475-4983.2010.00968.x |s2cid=128767044 |issn=0031-0239|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mike |first=Walley |date=July 28, 2008 |title=Strange Dinosaur Called Conchoraptor |url=https://blog.everythingdinosaur.com/blog/_archives/2008/07/28/strange-dinosaur-called-conchoraptor.html |access-date=2022-08-02 |website=Everything Dinosaur Blog |language=en-US}}</ref> A 2022 study of the bite force of ''Conchoraptor'' and comparisons with other oviraptorosaurs such as ''[[Incisivosaurus]]'', ''[[Citipati]]'', and ''[[Khaan]]'' instead suggests that ''Conchoraptor'' had a very strong bite force. The moderate jaw gape seen in oviraptorosaurs is indicative of herbivory in the majority of the group, but it is clear they were likely feeding on much tougher or more various types of vegetation than other herbivorous theropods in their environment, such as ornithomimosaurs and therizinosaurs were able to. The examinations suggest oviraptorosaurs may have been powerful-biting generalists or specialists that partook of niche partitioning both in body size and cranial function.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Meade |first1=Luke E. |last2=Ma |first2=Waisum |title=Cranial muscle reconstructions quantify adaptation for high bite forces in Oviraptorosauria |journal=Scientific Reports |date=22 February 2022 |volume=12 |issue=1 |page=3010 |doi=10.1038/s41598-022-06910-4 |pmid=35194096 |pmc=8863891 |s2cid=247057480 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Paleoenvironment== The [[Baruungoyot Formation]] of Mongolia, is estimated to date back to the [[Maastrichtian]] [[faunal stage|stage]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bell |first=Philip |date=2025 |title=Remarkable soft tissue anatomy recorded in titanosaur (Sauropoda) tracks from the latest Cretaceous of Mongolia |url=https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/204/3/zlaf053/8205517?login=false}}</ref> During the Late Cretaceous period, the land that is now the Baruun Goyot Formation had an arid environment with fields of sand [[dune]]s and only intermittent [[stream]]s.

If the remains from the Nemegt Formation belong to ''Conchoraptor,'' then it would have shared its habitat with other oviraptorosaurs including ''[[Avimimus]]'' and ''[[Nomingia]]'', other theropods include troodontids such as ''[[Tochisaurus]]'' and ''[[Zanabazar (dinosaur)|Zanabazar]]'', the tyrannosaurids ''[[Alioramus]]'' and ''[[Tarbosaurus]]''. Ornithischians include the pachycephalosaurs ''[[Homalocephale]]'' and ''[[Prenocephale]]'', the hadrosaurid ''[[Saurolophus]]'', the ankylosaurs ''[[Saichania]]'' and ''[[Tarchia]]''.

==See also== {{Portal|Dinosaurs}} * [[Timeline of oviraptorosaur research]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Commons category-inline|Conchoraptor|''Conchoraptor''}} * {{Wikispecies-inline|Conchoraptor|''Conchoraptor''}}

[[Category:Oviraptoridae]] [[Category:Dinosaur genera]] [[Category:Maastrichtian dinosaurs]] [[Category:Nemegt Formation]] [[Category:Fossil taxa described in 1986]] [[Category:Taxa named by Rinchen Barsbold]] [[Category:Dinosaurs of Mongolia]]