Fun Conchoraptor Facts For Kids

Are you interested to know more about different categories of dinosaurs? If yes, then you would surely like to know about the Conchoraptor dinosaur that lived in the Late Cretaceous period. This dinosaur walked on our earth around 66-70 million years ago.

It was a bipedal theropod dinosaur that is thought to be smaller than other dinosaurs present in the Oviraptoridae family. Apart from the lack of crest on its head, this dinosaur is also said to feed on mollusks.

It's assumed to have a beak meant for crushing shells. And, so it was given the name of Conchoraptor, meaning conch thief. In initial studies, it was taken to be a juvenile form of an oviraptor.

But, upon further studies, it was found to be a distinct species, and Rinchen Barsbold gave the dinosaur its own distinct genus. The fossil of this dinosaur was first found in the Red Beds of Hermiin Tsav of Mongolia.

To date, the site in the Gobi Desert has only given us the remains of its skull and cranial bones. In the future, we can only desire to know more about this unique dinosaur that's said to have a toothless beak. Do keep reading for more Conchoraptor facts.

Also, check out our articles on Urbacodon and Dakotadon to know more about dinosaurs.

Conchoraptor Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Conchoraptor'?

The pronunciation of the word Conchoraptor is 'kon-koh-rap-tor'. The meaning of its name is conch thief or plundered.

What type of dinosaur was a Conchoraptor?

The Conchoraptor is said to be a small Theropoda, one of the categories of dinosaurs that are known for having hollow bones and three toed limbs. Further classification of the Conchoraptor places it with the family Oviraptoridae. However, unlike other oviraptorid dinosaur species, the Conchoraptor lacks the head crest.

In which geological period did Conchoraptor roam the earth?

The Conchoraptor gracilis belongs to the Late Cretaceous period during the Maastrichtian stage that existed around 66-70 million years ago.

When did the Conchoraptor become extinct?

There's not much information about the exact timespan when the Conchoraptor became extinct. As fossil remains suggest, the dinosaur belongs to the Late Cretaceous period, so we can assume that the last individuals of this animal walked the earth about 66 million years ago.

Interestingly, dinosaurs have been said to dwell on the earth for around 165 million years before going extinct.

Where did Conchoraptor live?

We don't exactly know where the Conchoraptor gracilis lived. However, the fossil remains, especially the skull was found in a site of the Red Beds of Hermiin Tsav, Mongolia. And, upon further research, the dinosaur is said to hail from the Maastrichtian stage that existed 66-70 million years ago.

What was the Conchoraptor's habitat?

Well, it would be really hard to tell about the preferred habitat of a dinosaur that lived millions of years ago. But, as the conch thief is said to have an affinity towards feeding on mollusks, we can assume that it lived near water bodies, especially the sea.

The fossil remains of this dinosaur were found in the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia, which is said to have an arid environment during the Late Cretaceous period. And, the site was probably covered in intermittent streams and sand dunes.

Who did Conchoraptor live with?

Some fossil remains and patterns of dinosaurs make scientists believe that the animals may have shared a close bond or a complex social structure. But, we don't know much about the living practices of the conch thief or Conchoraptor gracilis dinosaur.

However, it has been noted, that the dinosaur shared its living site with dinosaurs from the genus Avimimus and genus Nomingi. Dinosaur variants such as the Tochisaurus, Zanabazar, as well as Alioramus and Tarbosaurus may have also lived in the same area.

How long did a Conchoraptor live?

Even though we don't know about the lifespan of this dinosaur, most of the fossil remains point towards it belonging to the Late Cretaceous period. And, unless otherwise noted, the dinosaur must have been present 66-70 million years ago in that period.

In Mongolia, the fossil remains of the dinosaur have been found in the Nemegt Formation, which is known for preserving even the most fragile bones of animals.

How did they reproduce?

We don't have concrete information regarding the reproduction of this dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period. But, we do know that like other dinosaurs, the conch thief or Conchoraptor would have also mated, and females would have had eggs.

Scientists also believe that most dinosaurs started to mate quite early, and these majestic animals might have had a similar approach to reproduction such as other reptiles. Interestingly, oviraptors, a close relative, is said to have participated in communal nesting.

Conchoraptor Fun Facts

What did Conchoraptor look like?

The Conchoraptor is taken to be a small bipedal dinosaur with a rounded beak, hollow bones even in the skull. These hollow bones in the skull are said to help the dinosaur have an enhanced hearing capacity.

This dinosaur of the Late Cretaceous period has been placed in a different genus because of the assumed appearance of the hands which are said to fall between an Oviraptor and an Ajancingenia. The fossil remains of this dinosaur also suggest that it might have had feathers or feather like structures.

How many bones did a Conchoraptor have?

The number of bones found in a Conchoraptor is unknown. Detailed studies and content are available about the Conchoraptor skull which lacks the distinct crest of other Oviraptoid dinosaurs. We have only been able to find fossil remains of a partial post cranial skeleton and a full skull.

How did they communicate?

We don't really know how dinosaurs sounded. Scientists do agree that dinosaurs probably wouldn't have sounded like the animals in 'Jurassic Park'. But, dinosaurs possibly had air sacs like birds or syrinx to make sounds. Other than that, dinosaurs might have taken part in visual communication especially during the mating season or while putting up a fight.

How big was the Conchoraptor?

Scientists assume that the average Conchoraptor size must have been around 3.3-6.6 ft (1-2 m) making it quite small compared to other species. In comparison, most oviraptorids can reach a size of up to 26 ft (8 m).

How fast could a Conchoraptor move?

We don't know about the exact speed of the Conchoraptor dinosaurs. But, oviraptorids usually are said to have a speed of 42 mph (69 kph) making it quite fast.

How much did a Conchoraptor weigh?

We are yet to know about the exact bodyweight of these oviraptorids. However, as it was a smaller dinosaur, we can assume that it was possibly less than other species.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no distinct names given to the male and female of this species.

What would you call a baby Conchoraptor?

It's quite interesting to know that lizards, reptiles, and birds that we see around us are descendants of the dinosaurs. Similarly, as this dinosaur also probably reproduced with eggs, we can call its baby a hatchling.

What did they eat?

Even though this is an assumption by looking at the beak pattern of this dinosaur, it is said that this animal mainly fed on mollusks. It may have used its toothless beak for crushing the shells of the arthropods to feed on the soft meat available inside.

However, before that, scientists mainly thought that this oviraptorid dinosaur mainly fed on eggs of other dinosaurs or animals.

How aggressive were they?

We don't really know how aggressive these oviraptorids may have been as the animal lacked teeth in its beak. But, having said that, as a carnivorous species, we can definitely assume that if threatened, the dinosaur could have brought wreck upon someone close to its site.

Did you know...

The holotype of the Conchoraptor is IGM 100/20, which is noted to have the fossil remain of a partial skeleton with a prominent skull.

The Conchoraptor dinosaur is placed under the oviraptorid subfamily of Ingeniinae and it's closely linked to other species and genus such as the Khaan, Citipati, as well as Machairasaurus.

Why are they called Conchoraptor?

This oviraptorid dinosaur is believed to have a bird-like toothless curved beak that helped it to crush the shells of mollusks, so it has been named Conchoraptor which denotes the meaning conch thief or conch plunderer.

Who discovered Conchoraptor?

We don't exactly know who discovered the Conchoraptor, but the fossils of this dinosaur were first found during a Polish-Mongolian expedition held in 1971. The first fossils of this oviraptorid were unearthed in Red Beds of Hermiin Tsav present in the Gobi desert.

Only two dozen specimens have been found to date. Doctor Rinchin Barsbold was the one to place this dinosaur in its very own distinct genus.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Heyuannia facts, or Venenosaurus facts for kids pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable singing dinosaur coloring pages.