Solving the mystery of a bizarre Mongolian dinosaur | Dr. Philip J. Currie | TEDxCalgary

[@laurentignacio9924]

Last time I went to the Natural History Museum in London, I was fascinated by those giant arms and the fact that we had no other clue about them. I now have an answer, and I thank you for that !

[@mwj5368]

Very interesting! I also wondered since this dinosaur had feathers, why didn't the illustration show that? Great presentation and amazing work being done. Thanks for posting this!

[@VWftw82]

Had they found more of Deinocheirus in the mid-20th century, I could imagine it being named "Anatomimus," meaning "duck mimic." The species name, meaning "unusual," might have still been used because it is very much so.

[@jackkessler9876]

I was in Mongolia for the 1997 eclipse. I went to the Paleontology Museum in Ulan Bator and saw two huge arms with huge claws set on the wall. They were amazingly huge and I all but ran to the typed card below them to see what they were. They were identified as mysterious and found in the Gobi and that was it. I assumed that maybe Mongolian paleontologists didn't know what they were but big time US and European paleontologists surely would. They didn't either. This TED talk is the first explanation I have ever seen. The only problem is that it makes no sense whatever that a giant duck-billed dinosaur would have giant claws. Other duck bills like hadrosaurs don't have them. The only analogy I can think of is Pleistocene giant ground sloths were herbivores but had giant claws as well. But ground sloths were tens of millions of years later than Deinochirus.

[@redddbaron]

unless those claws are used more like fish hooks. Think Grizzly bear claws instead.

[@alexeve6024]

That has to be the most bizarre dinosaur EVER!!!

[@daleburden828]

Wonderful talk that left me inspired. Your music is amazing! Marsha Burden.

[@Astrostevo]

Music?

[@LaStryka]

Why do they never show fossils that have begun to return to the earth? Like anywhere? Like I have a bunch of half quartz crystal half bone fossils and other rocks covered in chalky calcium from advanced decomposition/mineralization but they still have a random molar or a rough area that feels like a ground down horn or a dried cat tongue. They feel weird. Are these types of bones considered not to be old enough or are they considered too mineralized for the general public to know of their abundant existence? Because it seems that finding fossils is much more common than people are lead to believe. At least in my hometown. I know of no paleontology research in this area but I found a plethora of things that makes me question whether humans were behind a lot of extinction based on the clean cuts that I keep seeming to find at ankle or neck areas of obvious fossilized rocks.

[@donaldbelobraydic9996]

Poachers have to feed their families too. I guess they didn't get the 1925 memo.

[@lawneymalbrough4309]

It's obviously a grazing animal. Eyes on the side of the head give animals a wide field of view to spot approaching predators. So it had a a feather fan much like a turkey! That's one big turkey dinner! With those claws making dinner out of this turkey would not be an easy task. It's also very interesting that it ate fish as well as plants. Must have lived along river banks and lakes. An animal like that has a survival advantage in that it can find many sources of food.

[@TaterChip91]

Kind of an odd choice to have a lecture on a staircase. Still sweet tho👍

[@lawneymalbrough4309]

that is a strange looking animal. Just two large arms with big hands. I wonder what it could be?

[@lawneymalbrough4309]

Dates on currency are hardly an accurate dating method. Those papers could have been at least ten years old when they were left there.

[@HoveringAboveMyself]

That's why he said the quarry was poached in 2002 at the earliest and not "poached in 2002". They also found the place in 2009 so there's only a 7 year window.

[@tmo4330]

Lawney Malbrough The best dating method to remember is that the fossils we dig up are Pre-flood.

[@Scoobydcs]

lol

[@lawneymalbrough4309]

What can the deep past tell us about the world we live in? Nothing lasts forever. Things change and extinction is a normal event.