Fun Erlikosaurus Facts For Kids

The Erlikosaurus, also known as the Erlikosaurus andrewsi, is known to have inhabited present-day Asia and its fossil remains, skull, and postcranial fragments were found in the Mongolian Bayan Shireh Formation. These fossil remains consisted of a skull and this Erlikosaurus andrewsi skull was almost complete when found. Not a lot of information is available about the habitat of this dinosaur, but it is believed that it used to inhabit terrestrial habitats. It has known to have existed from the Cenomanian age to 83.6 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period. The reproduction of this animal took place through sexual reproduction where the male deposited sperm inside the body of the female and the female used lay eggs that were fertilized and had developing embryos.

The Erlikosaurus size was considered to be small and it had a light and slender build. Studies state that there is a probability of this animal being feathery. Other features include a long snout and a well-developed beak on the tip which helped in cropping plants. It had large claws as studied from fossils. Its feet were known to end with four toes, with the first one being articulated to the ankle and thus, the feet were one of the identifying features.

There has been a lot of confusion around the diet of this dinosaur as some believe that it was herbivorous, whereas, some paleontologists suggest that it was carnivorous. Erlikosaurus teeth are known to have a weak bite force. The Erlikosaurus meaning has been derived from a demon god of Turko-Mongolian mythology, Erlik, and the specific name of Erlikosaurus andrewsi is kept in honor of an American paleontologist. Altangerel Perle and Rinchen Barsbold were two paleontologists who named and described this species as Erlikosaurus andrewsi in 1980. The Segnosaurus is considered to be a close relative.

It is quite fascinating to explore this dinosaur and if you like, explore the Harpactognathus and the Chungkingosaurus, too.

How do you pronounce 'Erlikosaurus'?

This dinosaur is pronounced as 'Er-lik-oh-sore-us'.

What type of dinosaur was an Erlikosaurus?

The Erlikosaurus was considered to be a theropod type.

In which geological period did the Erlikosaurus roam the earth?

It is known to have lived during the Late Cretaceous period.

When did the Erlikosaurus become Extinct?

The extinction time period of this dinosaur from Mongolia is not known.

Where did an Erlikosaurus live?

It has been recorded that this dinosaur species used to inhabit present-day Asia. Fossils have been discovered in the Bayan Shireh Formation of Mongolia.

What was an Erlikosaurus's habitat?

Not a lot is known about the habitat of this dinosaur, but research states that it inhabited terrestrial habitats.

Who did an Erlikosaurus live with?

It is unknown if this dinosaur was solitary or used to live in groups.

How long did an Erlikosaurus live?

It is known to have lived from the Cenomanian age to 83.6 million years ago.

How did they reproduce?

Reproduction took place through the sexual process and this process involved the male depositing sperm in the female body and the female laying eggs that were fertilized with developing embryos.

What did an Erlikosaurus look like?

This species was recorded to be a small-sized theropod with a slender and light build, unlike other related large dinosaurs. As a therizinosaurid, it had arms that were strong and also had large claws, a wide and heavy torso, and a pelvis that was directed backward. It is probable that it was a feathery animal. The snout of this species was considered to be long and had a well-developed beak at the tip. Studies suggest that this animal had a cartilaginous septum and the maxilla was known to be triangular in shape and it had a toothed jaw. The skull also showed the premaxilla which explained extended nasal processes. The cerebellum was found stocky and elongated when the skull was studied. Feet were known to end with four toes with the first one being articulated to the ankle. When restored, the Erlikosaurus skull measurement was around 10 in (26 cm), and the Erlikosaurus skeleton was quite fragmented.

How many bones did an Erlikosaurus have?

The number of bones that this species had is unknown.

How did they communicate?

Communication of this species used to happen through various types of sounds, postures and gestures similar to other dinosaurs.

How big was an Erlikosaurus?

The length of these dinosaurs was evaluated to be around 11 ft (335 cm).

How fast could an Erlikosaurus move?

The speed of this dinosaur species is unknown.

How much did an Erlikosaurus weigh?

The weight of these dinosaurs was estimated to be around 330-550 lb (150-250 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

This dinosaur species did not have any sex-specific names.

What would you call a baby Erlikosaurus?

Just like babies of other dinosaurs, a baby of these dinosaurs was also referred to as a hatchling.

What did they eat?

There has been a lot of confusion around the diet of this species as some believed that these dinosaurs were herbivorous, and thus, fed on plant material, whereas, some suggested that it was a carnivorous species based on the jaw structure and also based on the Erlikosaurus andrewsi teeth and force bite. The well-developed beak made cropping plants easy. Thus, its food and diet are not certainly known.

How aggressive were they?

To determine the aggressiveness of this Extinct species is quite difficult, but it has been recorded that dinosaurs, in general, were instinctively aggressive and also violent.

Did you know...

The word Erlikosaurus is known to mean Erik's lizard.

Fossil remains, the skeleton, and postcranial fragments were found in the Bayan Shireh Formation in Mongolia in 1972.

History states that Altangerel Perle and Rinchen Barsbold were two paleontologists who named and described this species as Erlikosaurus andrewsi in 1980.

This species is known to represent the second taxon of the therizinosaur from this particular formation (along with other related members like the Segmosaurus and the Enigmosaurus) with its almost complete skull.

The holotype specimen is known to be named MPC-D 100/111. It consisted of a skull that was well preserved, an almost complete right pes, and an almost complete left humerus. There were some other remains like fragments of cervical vertebrae.

The Erlikosaurus derives the generic name from the demon king from the Turko-Mongolian mythology, Erlik, and the specific name, 'andrewsi' is kept to honor Roy Chapman Andrews, an American paleontologist who was known to be the leader of American-Asiatic expeditions held between 1922-1930.

The paleontologist Perle assigned Erlikosaurus to the Segnosauridae which is presently known as the Therizinosauridae and the Segnosaurus is considered to be a close relative of this dinosaur.

Lautenschlager is known to have performed digital reconstruction of its musculature (cranial) and his study states that it had a weak force bite which makes this dinosaur unique.

Fossil remains found in Mongolia were in a quarry that was composed of gray sand with gravel, conglomerates, and gray claystone.

Lindsay Zanno of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is considered to be one of the first authors who studied therizinosaurs in detail as stated in history.

The Erlidominus is an Indominus and Erlikosaurus hybrid in a popular game known as the Jurassic World.

What terrain did the Erlikosaurus live in?

One of the interesting features about this dinosaur is that it is only known that this dinosaur lived during the Cretaceous time period.

Who discovered the Erlikosaurus?

It is unknown who discovered the Erlikosaurus, but it is noted that the naming and description were done by two paleontologists, namely, Rinchen Barsbold and Altangerel Perle in 1980.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Yinlong facts and Orodromeus facts for kids.

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