Ornithomimus
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Clade: Ornithomimosauria
Family: Ornithomimidae
Genus: Ornithomimus meaning "Bird Mimic"
Described by Othniel Charles Marsh, 1890
Type Species: Ornithomimis velox
Species:
-Ornithomimis velox meaning "Swift Bird Mimic" (Type Species), Marsh, 1890
-Ornithomimis Edmontonicusmeaning "Bird Mimic of Edmonton"Sternberg, 1933
Current Park Population: (23; all adults; 11 male, 12 female)
Park Diet: Ferns, chicken feed, ostrich feed, low shrubs, lettuce, Crickets, and mealworms.
Natural Diet: Ferns, low shrubs, medium sized conifers, small insects, and animals.
Lifespan: 35 years
Habitat: Open areas like floodplain swamps, fern prairies, and open-canopy forests with large amounts of food.
Native Ecosystem: Western North America, on what was then an island continent known as Laramidia. Hell Creek Formation, Laramie Formation, Ferris Formation, and Denver Formation, Horseshoe Formation, Southwestern Alberta, Canada, Montana, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, and, USA, 76.5-66 Million Years Ago, Campanian-Maastrichtian Stage.
Breeding Season: June and July
Gestation Period: Two Months
Eggs Laid: Eight to Twenty Eggs.
Hatching Time: Three to five weeks
Danger Level: 4 out of 10.
Summary: Ornithomimus is a genus of ornithomimid theropod dinosaurs from the Campanian and Maastrichtian ages of Late Cretaceous Western North America. Ornithomimus was a swift, bipedal dinosaur which fossil evidence indicates was covered in feathers and equipped with a small toothless beak that may indicate an omnivorous diet. They are a dinosaur equivalent of the Ostrich, a primary example of convergent evolution.
History of Discovery:
First species named: The history of Ornithomimus classification and the classification of ornithomimids in general has been very complicated. The type species, Ornithomimus velox, was first named by O.C. Marsh in 1890 and is based on syntypes YPM 542 and YPM 548 (a partial hindlimb and forelimb, respectively), found by George Lyman Cannon in the Denver Formation of Colorado on June 30, 1889. The generic name means "bird mimic", derived from Greek words ὄρνις (ornis), "bird", and μῖμος (mimos), "mimic", in reference to the bird-like foot. The specific name means "swift" in Latin. Simultaneously, Marsh named two other species: Ornithomimus tenuis (based on specimen USNM 5814) and Ornithomimus grandis. Both consist of fragmentary fossils found by John Bell Hatcher in Montana, which is today understood as tyrannosauroid material. At first, Marsh assumed Ornithomimus was an ornithopod, but this changed when Hatcher found specimen USNM 4736, a partial ornithomimid skeleton, in Wyoming. Marsh named it Ornithomimus sedens in 1892. On that occasion, Ornithomimus minutus was also created based on specimen YPM 1049 (a metatarsus), but it has since been recognized as belonging to an alvarezsaurid.
Description:
Ornithomimus velox
Adults arecovered in grayish brown emu-like feathers with faint light brownish stripes on the top, a gray beak is black tip with the back end white, and a white ring around the base, the tail feathers and wing tips were black, except on their legs and underbelly which are grayish scales.
The males have a small gular sac that was black-spotted that is dark blue with a red center, black colored heads, necks, and shoulders with curly feather crests, and a bright blue stripe running down the side of the neck.
The females were identical, but with dark gray heads and necks and a light gray stripe running down the side of the neck, and a palish rose gular sac.
Juveniles identical to the adults, but have with dark brown brownish stripes on the top, tannish brown colored head and neck, a light brown stripe running down the side of the neck, and a gray black tip beak.
Chicks are tannish brown with dark brown and light brown stripes and spots, and feather crests.
Like other ornithomimids, species of Ornithomimus are characterized by feet with three weight-bearing toes, long slender arms, and long necks with birdlike, elongated, toothless, beaked skulls. They were bipedal and superficially resemblant to ratites. They would have been swift runners thanks to their very long limbs and hollow bones. They also had large brains and large eyes. The brains of ornithomimids in general were large for non-avialan dinosaurs, but this may not necessarily be a sign of high intelligence. Some paleontologists think that the enlarged portions of the brain were dedicated to kinesthetic coordination. The bones of the hands are remarkably sloth-like in appearance, which led Henry Fairfield Osborn to suggest that they were used for hook branches during feeding.
Ornithomimus differs from other ornithomimids, such as Struthiomimus, in having shorter torsos, long slender forearms, very slender, straight hand and foot claws, and hand bones and fingers of similar lengths.
The two Ornithomimus species today seen as possibly valid differ in size. In 2010, Gregory S. Paul estimated the length of O. edmontonicus at 3.8 m (12 ft) and its weight at 170 kilograms (370 lb). One of its specimens, CMN 12228, preserves a femur that is 46.8 centimetres (18.4 in) long. O. velox, the type species of Ornithomimus, is based on material of a smaller animal. Whereas the holotype of O. edmontonicus, CMN 8632, preserves a second metacarpal eighty-four millimetres long, the same element with O. velox measures only fifty-three millimetres.
Feathers and Skin: Ornithomimus, like many dinosaurs, was long thought to have been scaly. However, beginning in 1995, several specimens of Ornithomimus have been found preserving evidence of feathers. In 1995, 2008, and 2009, three Ornithomimus edmontonicus specimens with evidence of feathers were found (two adults with carbonized traces on the lower arm, indicating the former presence of pennaceous feather shafts, and a juvenile with impressions of feathers, which were up to five centimetres in length, in the form of hair-like filaments covering the rump, legs, and neck was also discovered). The fact that the feather imprints were found in sandstone, previously thought to not be able to support such impressions, raised the possibility of finding similar structures with more careful preparation of future specimens. A study describing the fossils in 2012 concluded that O. edmontonicus was covered in plumaceous feathers at all growth stages and that only adults had pennaceous wing-like structures, suggesting that wings may have evolved for mating displays. In 2014, Christian Foth and others argued that the evidence was insufficient to conclude that the forelimb feathers of Ornithomimus were necessarily pennaceous, citing the fact that the monofilamentous wing feathers in cassowaries would likely leave similar traces.
A fourth feathered specimen of Ornithomimus, this time from the lower portion of the Dinosaur Park Formation, was described in October of 2015 by Aaron van der Reest, Alex Wolfe, and Phil Currie. It was the first Ornithomimus specimen to preserve the feathers of its tail. The feathers, though crushed and distorted, bore numerous similarities to those of an ostrich, both in structure and distribution. Skin impressions were also preserved in the 2015 specimen, which indicated that, from mid-thigh to the feet, there was bare skin devoid of scales and that a flap of skin connecting the upper thigh to the torso. This latter structure is similar to that found in modern birds, including ostriches, but was positioned higher above the knee in Ornithomimus than in birds.
A fourth feathered specimen of Ornithomimus, this time from the lower portion of the Dinosaur Park Formation, was described in October of 2015 by Aaron van der Reest, Alex Wolfe, and Phil Currie. It was the first Ornithomimus specimen to preserve the feathers of its tail. The feathers, though crushed and distorted, bore numerous similarities to those of an ostrich, both in structure and distribution. Skin impressions were also preserved in the 2015 specimen, which indicated that, from mid-thigh to the feet, there was bare skin devoid of scales and that a flap of skin connecting the upper thigh to the torso. This latter structure is similar to that found in modern birds, including ostriches, but was positioned higher above the knee in Ornithomimus than in birds.
Classification: In 1890, Marsh assigned Ornithomimus to the clade Ornithomimosauria, a classification that is still very common. Modern cladistic studies indicate it having a derived position in the ornithomimids. These, however, have only included O. edmontonicus in their analyses. The relationships between O. edmontonicus, O. velox, and O. sedens have not been published.
Paleobiology
Social Behavior: They were mostly social animals living in flocks as a form of protection from predators. While feeding, a sentry would warn others of the flock to flee when a predator is sighted.
Diet: The diet of Ornithomimus is still highly debated. As theropods, ornithomimids might have been carnivorous, but their body shape would have been suited for a largely herbivorous lifestyle. Suggested food in its diet includes insects, crustaceans, fruit, leaves, branches, eggs, lizards, and small mammals.
Speed: Ornithomimus had legs that seem clearly suited for rapid locomotion, with the tibia being about 20% longer than the femur. They can sustained running speeds of about 30- 50miles per hour.
Vision: Similar to ostirches they have very large eyes, their long neck and excellent vision help them see great distances, allowing them to keep an eye out for predators. The large eye sockets in their skulls suggest a keen visual sense and also suggest the possibility that they were nocturnal.
Interactions with other species:
For being a medium sized fast running dinosaur, speed is the way to flee from predators if they are quick enough as predators would go after the slow and weak individuals lagging behind. They are often prey to Tyrannosaurus, Dakotaraptor, and Dromaeosaurus and packs of Pectinodons and Acheroraptors can bring down an adult working together, although they normally target the juveniles, chicks, and eggs.
They often feed alongside Triceratops, Torosaurus, and Ankylosaurus for protection often around the edges snapping up insects that have been disturbed by their large feet like Cattle Egrets do today.
Extinction: The Ornithomimus has hit a dead end when the asteroid alongside smaller asteroids, comets, and meteors it came with it it headed in the direction of Earth. There was also forest fires spread by hot debris and small asteroids, Earthquakes, tsunami floods around coastal areas, and acid rain. Despite its speed and omnivore diet, it wasn't able to survive the extinction event.
Danger Tip: Normally they are a peaceful animal as long you give them lots of space and you can feed them from out of your hand. But if you get to close, provoke, or even getting close to a mother and her young. They can chase you off and if they catch you they'll peck you, slash you with their clawed hands and kick you with their legs and they can be lethal.
Significant Events: The Ornithomimus are important as they were the very first dinosaurs to be encountered by the rescue team on day 1 of their first rescue mission. They found them in a forest clearing, the team were startled and scared by the rustling in the scrubs and bushes which came closer, until the sentry popped his head out much to the team's surprise. Charlie got an ear piercing squawk when he go too close and seeing that the team aren't a threat, the flock appeared and resumed feeding. Thomas, Lynn, Sandy, Spongebob, and Lana Loud tried to catch a few using socks, a technique used for ostriches. They managed to catch one, while the flock runs away, but runs back with the team losing the captured individuals due to a pack of three Sub-adult T. Rex showing up.
The Next Day, the Ornithomimus flocks reappeared alongside other herbivores including Triceratops and Torosaurus gathered at a clearing with a creek close to camp during Day 2 of the Rescue Team's Mission. The Next day, a pack of Tyrannosaurus attacks the multi-species herd, the Ornithomimus flock ran off from the large predators.
On the day where the asteroid hits, the Ornithomimus flock were found alongside the other herbivores like Triceratops and Torosaurus in the valley snapping up insects that have been disturbed by their large feet of the large herbivores where they are pursued by the Female T. Rex stampede down the hill and are funneled by the river on the left side and a wall of fallen logs and debris into the portal to the park. But one individual lagging behind was caught and killed by the female T. Rex who turns out to be a mother bringing her recently killed prey to feed her two offspring. They now reside in the Hell Creek Herbivore Paddock.
Hell Creek Herbivore Paddock: The Torosaurus herd lives alongside the other herbivores including Triceratops and Torosaurus in the large multi-species paddock. The Ornithomimus often like to hang out in the lake, ponds, and water edges of the rivers of their exhibit to replicate the swamp floodplains of Hell Creeks. The Ornithomimus would drink, bathe in the water to cool down, and sometimes search for small fish, frogs, aquatic invertebrate larvae, and water plants.
Conclusion: The Ornithomimus is a speedy ostrich like dinosaur that plays a significant in Paleo Park's history. They are quite comical and agile animals although not as iconic as the large dinosaurs, but they are interesting animals to admire for generations to come.
The Field Guide might take a long time, like structuring and writing descriptions of the creatures, but also my time in college and spending time with my family. So you can suggest additional information quotes, descriptions, and natural or speculative behaviors for the prehistoric animals that I can edit and you send your suggestions either in reviews or Private Messages.
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