Parvicursor

From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids

Parvicursor ("small runner") was a tiny Alvarezsaurian dinosaur, with long slender legs for fast running. Only 45 to 55 cm (18 to 22 in) from snout to end of tail, it is currently the smallest non-avian dinosaur known.

Like other alvarezsaurs, Parvicursor's forelimbs were short and stubby, with hands all but completely turned into a single big claw, possibly useful for opening tough termite mounds or other types of digging. It is unlikely that the claw could have served much for defence, as it was short and not "designed" for flexible movements — it is more likely it would do as the animal's name implies: cursor means runner.

Parvicursor is known from Late Cretaceous (Campanian) sediments at Khulsan, Mongolia. It is only known from one incomplete specimen, mostly pelvis and hind legs. Close relatives include Alvarezsaurus, Patagonykus, Mononykus and its most recently discovered and closest relative, Shuvuuia.

[edit] References

• Parvicursor remotus