Deinocheirus

Pronunciation:
DINE-oh-KIRE-us
Name meaning:
'terrible hand'
Type of dinosaur:
large theropod
Length:
10.0m
Diet:
omnivorous
When it lived:
Late Cretaceous, 70-66 million years ago
Found in:
Mongolia

Originally, scientists only had a pair of arm bones with big, long claws to learn about Deinocheirus. But in 2014, new material revealed that it had a unique, large hump on its back, supported by its back bones. Now we know that it was a truly bizarre-looking creature, with huge, clawed hands, a beaked head like a duck and a hump like a camel.

Taxonomic details

Taxonomy:
Dinosauria, Saurischia, Theropoda, Ornithomimosauria
Named by:
Osmolska and Roniewicz (1970)
Type species:
mirificus

Discover more

Dinosaurs

How dinosaurs evolved into birds

The humble pigeon is a distant relative of the mighty T. rex.

Dinosaurs

Dinosaur family tree gets major makeover

Dinosaurs have a new family tree. Find out how it has changed and what the new tree reveals about dinosaurs' origins and evolution.

Dinosaurs

What's wrong with these dinosaurs?

These popular dinosaur reconstructions from the 1960s are no longer scientifically accurate. Can you spot the errors?

Dinosaurs

What is a coprolite?

Fossil poo may not be a glamorous fossil find, but it can reveal a lot about prehistoric animals.

Step back in time

Find out more about dinosaurs' lives and the world they lived in.

Fun and games

Learn more about dinosaurs through toys, board games and activity kits, available from our online shop.

Dinosaurs Gallery

Roarrr. Come face-to-face with world-famous dinosaurs.

Accept cookies?

We use cookies to give you the best online experience. We use them to improve our website and content, and to tailor our digital advertising on third-party platforms. You can change your preferences at any time.

Manage my preferences