| HEAD AND NECK A Gallimimus head and neck in close-up show how the
eyes were held: they were high above the ground and their fields of vision did not
overlap. This would make it hard to judge distance well, but with one eye on each side of
the head and a neck it could twist around, Gallimimus would have been able to get an
all-round view. |
They would not have been much use for
grasping tiny lizards or tearing open insect nests. Each member of the family of ostrich
dinosaurs differed in some way from its relative. Gallimimus had an unusually long snout
with a broad, flat end.
| DEATH POSE
Ornithomimids have been found with the head and tail pulled back: they may have died of
thirst in deserts or temporary droughts. Dry air would have helped to shrink the ligaments
that tugged their necks and tails upwards. Lack of drinking water nearby might also have
been the reason why these corpses were preserved in such complete form - few
carrion-caters would survive, who would otherwise have dismembered the corpses and
scattered the bones. |
Like other members of the family, Gallimimus
would quickly sprint away from danger. With long loping legs, it would have looked like an
ostrich as it ran. It may have snapped and pecked at dinosaur eggs were small with thin
shells similar to chicken or turkey eggs. A good strong peck from Gallimimus' beak would
have been enough to break them open.
Location: Mongolia
Diet: Insects, small vertebrates and possibly fruits and
leaves
Size: Length 6m
Classification:
Family Ornithomimidae
Infraorder Tetanurae
Suborder Theropoda
Order Saurischia
Time (million years ago): 73
