Dinosaurs A to Z
Caenagnathidae

Caenagnathus collinsi

"recent jaw"

Generic theropod body-plan outline
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Caenagnathus 2.5 m (8.2 ft) long
as long as 2 people standing fingertip to fingertip
generic theropod body plan, scaled to length — not a silhouette of Caenagnathus
Length
2.5 m (8.2 ft)
Period
Late Cretaceous (75.5 Mya)
Place
Canada · Alberta, Canada
Food
Omnivore
Clade
Caenagnathidae
Caenagnathus reconstruction by Benwrops
Reconstruction · Benwrops (CC-BY)

Caenagnathus (‘recent jaw’) is a genus of caenagnathid oviraptorosaurian dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period (Campanian stage, about 75 million years ago). It is known from partial remains including lower jaws, a tail vertebra, hand bones, hind limbs, and pelvis, all found in the Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada.

What we know

  • Named by Sternberg, 1940.
  • Body length estimated at about 2.5 m.
  • Fossils found in Canada and Alberta, Canada.

What we guess

The reconstruction notes for Caenagnathus — soft tissue, color, behavior — haven't been written up yet. Only the recorded basics above are filled in so far.