Conchoraptor

shell thief (mollusc robber)

• concho- · Greek · shell, mollusc (konche)
• raptor · Latin · robber, plunderer

The name combines the Greek "konche" (shell, mollusc) with the Latin "raptor" (robber or plunderer). It was chosen because Conchoraptor was thought to have eaten shellfish, such as molluscs, since it had a toothless beak and the sediments it lived in were associated with freshwater shells. This diet has not been confirmed.

Named by

Barsbold

Year named

1986

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Maastrichtian

Found in

Nemegt Formation, Gobi Desert, Mongolia

A small, toothless oviraptorid theropod. The type species is Conchoraptor gracilis. The shell-eating diet is a hypothesis and is not well supported by direct evidence. The stage dating of the Nemegt Formation is generally given as Maastrichtian, though some authors place it slightly earlier.