Archive · 12 Jan 2026
Dinosaur with Unique Hand Found
Scientists found a small dinosaur called Manipulonyx reshetovi that lived 67 million years ago.
This dinosaur had a special hand with a big claw and spikes, which it probably used to grab and crack eggs from other dinosaurs.
The hand was so unique that it surprised many scientists.
The dinosaur lived in what is now the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, where it might have snuck into nests at night to steal eggs.
This discovery helps us learn more about how these tiny dinosaurs lived and what they ate.
Manipulonyx reshetovi had a unique hand with a giant claw, side digits, and spikes, likely used for gripping and cracking eggs.
The dinosaur lived in the late Cretaceous period, 67 million years ago, in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia.
Its hand structure was so unusual that it surprised paleontologists, who had not seen such features before in alvarezsaurids.
Manipulonyx likely raided nests at night, using its specialized hand to steal eggs from larger dinosaurs.
The discovery provides new insights into the behavior and adaptations of alvarezsaurids, a family of small dinosaurs.
- Who
- Manipulonyx reshetovi, a small dinosaur with a unique hand structure
- What
- Discovery of a dinosaur with a specialized hand for gripping eggs
- When
- Late Cretaceous period, 67 million years ago; discovered in 1979, studied in 2023
- Where
- Gobi Desert, Mongolia
- Why
- To understand the unique adaptations and behaviors of alvarezsaurids
- Species Name
- Manipulonyx reshetovi
- Time Period
- Late Cretaceous, 67 million years ago
- Location
- Gobi Desert, Mongolia
- Hand Features
- Giant claw, side digits, and spikes
- Possible Prey
- Eggs of larger dinosaurs
- Family
- Alvarezsaurids
- Discoverer
- Alexander Averianov
- Study Publication
- Proceedings of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences