Chirostenotes Facts
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Height | 1.2m |
| Length | 2.5m |
| Weight | 50 kg |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Theropod |
| Location | Canada |

| Diet | Omnivore |
| Height | 1.2m |
| Length | 2.5m |
| Weight | 50 kg |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Theropod |
| Location | Canada |
Chirostenotes was a fascinating theropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Alberta, Canada, during the Late Cretaceous period between 83.6 and 72.2 million years ago. This unusual dinosaur belonged to a group of theropods called oviraptorosaurs, which were quite different from the typical meat-eating dinosaurs most people imagine.
Standing about 1.2 metres tall at the hip and measuring approximately 2.5 metres in length, Chirostenotes was roughly the size of a large ostrich. It had an elongated, slender build with particularly long, narrow hands that gave it its name. Unlike many of its theropod relatives, Chirostenotes was likely an omnivore, feeding on a varied diet of plants, small animals, eggs, and possibly shellfish.
One of the most distinctive features of Chirostenotes was its beak-like mouth, which lacked teeth entirely. Instead, it may have had a sharp, horny beak similar to modern birds, perfectly adapted for its diverse feeding habits. Its long, powerful legs suggest it was a capable runner, able to chase down prey or escape from larger predators in the lush, subtropical environment of Late Cretaceous Alberta.
The fossil record of Chirostenotes has been somewhat puzzling to palaeontologists, as different parts of its skeleton were initially thought to belong to separate species. It wasn't until decades later that scientists realised these various bones all belonged to the same remarkable dinosaur.
Chirostenotes had exceptionally long, narrow hands with slender fingers, a toothless beak-like mouth, and an elongated, graceful build. Its proportionally long legs and neck gave it an almost bird-like appearance, quite different from typical predatory theropods.
Chirostenotes likely lived in small groups and may have been quite social, possibly cooperating when foraging for food. Its varied diet suggests it was an opportunistic feeder, adapting its behaviour to take advantage of whatever food sources were available in its environment.
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Saurischia |
| Order | Avetheropoda |
| Family | Caenagnathidae |
| Genus | Chirostenotes |
Chirostenotes was first described by Charles Sternberg in 1924. The original fossils were discovered at Dinosaur Park Formation, Alberta, Canada.