page_title: Timeline of oviraptorosaur research
section_title: 1920s
hierarchical_section_title: Timeline of oviraptorosaur research / 20th century / 1920s
caption_attribution_description: English: Skeletal reconstruction of Chirostenotes pergracilis showing the hands of specimen NMC 2367 and feet of NMC 8538.
context_page_description: This timeline of oviraptorosaur research is a chronological listing of events in the history of paleontology focused on the oviraptorosaurs, a group of beaked, bird-like theropod dinosaurs. The early history of oviraptorosaur paleontology is characterized by taxonomic confusion due to the unusual characteristics of these dinosaurs. When initially described in 1924 Oviraptor itself was thought to be a member of the Ornithomimidae, popularly known as the "ostrich" dinosaurs, because both taxa share toothless beaks. Early caenagnathid oviraptorosaur discoveries like Caenagnathus itself were also incorrectly classified at the time, having been misidentified as birds.
  The hypothesis that caenagnathids were birds was questioned as early as 1956 by Romer, but not corrected until Osmolska formally reclassified them as dinosaurs in 1976. Meanwhile, the classification of Oviraptor as an ornithomimid persisted unquestioned by researchers like Romer and Steel until the early 1970s when Dale Russell argued against the idea in 1972.
context_section_description: 1923
  A specimen of the species that would come to be named Oviraptor philoceratops was found preserved on top of a nest of eggs.
  1924
  Osborn described the new genus and species Oviraptor philoceratops. He classified it as an ornithomimid because it didn't have any teeth in its jaws and interpreted the genus as being adapted to a diet of eggs. Since a specimen was found preserved on top of a nest of eggs presumed to belong to Protoceratops, Osborn thought that it was smothered by a sandstorm while in the act of raiding the nest.
  Gilmore described the new genus and species Chirostenotes pergracilis.
caption: Skeletal reconstruction of Chirostenotes
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