Gigantoraptor

giant robber (giant thief)

• gigas / gigantos · Greek · giant
• raptor · Latin · robber, plunderer

The name combines the Greek "gigas" (giant) with the Latin "raptor" (robber or plunderer). It was chosen because this oviraptorosaur was far larger than any other known member of its group. It stood about 5 metres tall at the hip and weighed over a tonne, many times the size of other oviraptorosaurs.

Named by

Xu et al.

Year named

2007

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stages

Cenomanian – Turonian

Found in

Iren Dabasu Formation, Inner Mongolia, China

Type species is Gigantoraptor erlianensis. It is a large, toothless, feathered oviraptorosaur theropod. The age of the Iren Dabasu Formation is debated, and some sources give a Late Cretaceous age of roughly Cenomanian to Campanian. Despite the "raptor" in its name, it is not a dromaeosaurid ("raptor") dinosaur.