Dinosaurs A to Z
Alvarezsauridae

Shuvuuia

"bird"

Generic theropod body-plan outline
You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Shuvuuia 1 m (3.3 ft) long
as long as 2 people standing fingertip to fingertip
generic theropod body plan, scaled to length — not a silhouette of Shuvuuia
Length
1 m (3.3 ft)
Period
Late Cretaceous (75 Mya)
Place
Mongolia
Food
Carnivore
Clade
Alvarezsauridae

Shuvuuia is a genus of bird-like theropod dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period of Mongolia. It is a member of the family Alvarezsauridae, small coelurosaurian dinosaurs which are characterized by short but powerful forelimbs specialized for digging. The type (and only known) species is Shuvuuia deserti, or “desert bird”. The name Shuvuuia is derived from the Mongolian word shuvuu (шувуу) meaning “bird”.

What we know

  • Named by Chiappe, Norell, & Clark, 1998.
  • Body length estimated at about 1 m.
  • Fossils found in Mongolia.

What we guess

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