Identification:

                           I.  Pelecanimimus polyodon
                           II.  Harpymimus okladnikovi
                           III.  Archaeornithomimus asiaticus
                           IV.  Archaeornithomimus bissektensis  (based on Archaeornithomimus asiaticus)
                           V.  Garudimimus brevipes
                           VI.  Deinocheirus mirificus
                           VII.  Deinocheirus sp. (based on Deinocheirus mirificus)
                           VIII.  Ornithomimus velox
                           IX.  Ornithomimus antiquus (based on Ornithomimus velox)
                           X. Ornithomimus edmontonicus (based on Ornithomimus velox)
                           XI. Ornithomimus lonzeensis (based on Ornithomimus velox)
                           XII. Ornithomimus sedens (based on Ornithomimus velox)
                           XIII. Sanchusaurus (based on other Ornithomimosauria)
                           XIV. Orcomimus (based on other Ornithomimosauria)
                           XV. Gallimimus mongoliensis (based on Gallimimus bullatus)
                           XVI. Gallimimus bullatus
                           XVII. Anserimimus planinychus  (based on other Ornithomimosauria)
                           XVIII. Dromiceiomimus samueli  (based on  Dromiceiomimus brevitertius)
                           IXX. Dromiceiomimus brevitertius
                           XX. Struthiomimus altus

(Barsbold, 1976 non Sereno, 1999 )

    The ornithomimosaurs are a very successful branch of Coelurosauria that have thrived from the the early Cretaceous (120 mya)(Keesey) to its end.  All ornithomimosaurs share the same body shape: a compact body tapering into a long neck with small head, balanced by an equally long tail, supported by a pair of long, digirade legs.  All members of the clade have large eyes, three long-clawed fingers, and a beaked snout very much like that of a bird.  All ornithomimosaurs possess a beak except for Pelicanimimus and Harpymimus which have very small, peglike teeth.

    Ornithomimosaurs range in size from the two meter Harpymimus to seven meter Deinocheirus, but most of them rest happily in three meter range.  These familiar omnivores can be found on all of Earth's continents, but Antarctica, although they are most common in Asia and North America.

Other websites pertinent to this article:

The Dinosauricon's Ornithomimosauria cladogram

© Daniel Bensen 2000
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