Alxasaurus sp. claw
Specifications
- Found:
- Kyzylkum, Uzbekistan
- Genus:
- Alxasaurus
- Specimen size:
- 8,9*6*2 cm (3.5*2.36*0.79")
- Age:
- 90-92 mln years
- Specimen weight:
- 71,05 g (2.51 oz)
- Period:
- Cretaceous
Description
Dinosaur claw, massive, heavy, with a strong bend. The place of attachment to the phalanx of the finger is smooth and rounded. At the end of the claw, there is a groove formed by the passing blood vessels that fed its soft tissues. During the lifespan of the dinosaur, the claw was covered with a horn sheath, like the birds’ one, and its size was somewhat larger.
The claw is similar to the claws of theropods, but its owner was an Alxasaurus, a member of the Therizinosaur clade, with a very strange appearance. A massive body with a short tail, long neck, small head, and huge front paws with claws. The claws of large therizinosaurs reached a meter in length! Alxasaurus is one of the oldest dinosaur of this group and it had not yet possessed such claws. In addition, the size was smaller, about 4 meters in length.