Therizinosaurus

**Name:***Therizinosaurus* ‭(‬Scythe lizard‭)‬.
**Phonetic:** Ther-ih-zine-oh-sore-us.
**Named By:** Evgeny Maleev‭ ‬-‭ ‬1954.
**Classification:** Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Theropoda,‭ ‬Therizinosauridae.
**Species:***T.‭ ‬cheloniformis‭ (‬type‭)‬.*
**Type:** Probably herbivorous.
**Size:** Approximately‭ ‬10‭ ‬meters long.
**Known locations:** Mongolia.
**Time period:** Campanian of the Cretaceous.‭
**Fossil representation:** Usually the large hand claws,‭ ‬and some post cranial remains.‭ ‬Skull unknown.

What makes *Therizinosaurus* and others from its group stand out from other dinosaurs are the huge claws that are on the end of its fingers.‭ ‬In *Therizinosaurus* these claws reached up to one meter long,‭ ‬and there purpose has three main theories.‭ ‬The first is for display,‭ ‬with the larger claws being indicative of reproductive maturity.‭ ‬The second theory which leads on from the first is for inter species combat between two males,‭ ‬in a similar manner that ceratopsian dinosaurs are thought to have used their horns in dominance combat.‭ ‬This could also mean *Therizinosaurus* using its claws against predatory dinosaurs in self-defence.
The third theory is that the claws were aids in reaching up into the tree canopy to pull down choice pieces of vegetation,‭ ‬in the same kind of way that a modern day sloth will also use its long claws to reach its food.‭ ‬This might also imply that *Therizinosaurus*,‭ ‬among others of its group,‭ ‬preferred some plants over others and was more selective in its feeding.‭ ‬It should also be considered that while one answer may be more correct,‭ ‬the claws may have also been used for different purposes depending upon the situation.
Unfortunately,‭ ‬apart from the claws,‭ ‬only scant partial remains of the rest of the skeleton are known.‭ ‬This meant that for a long time the exact morphology was largely unknown,‭ ‬with very early depictions making *Therizinosaurus* a predator that used its claws to take down prey.‭ ‬The discovery of more similar dinosaurs towards the end of the twentieth century allowed for the gaps to be filled in,‭ ‬with modern reconstructions of *Therizinosaurus* being considered more accurate. Members of‭ ‬this group are thought to be descended from carnivorous ancestors,‭ ‬but the exact diet of*Therizinosaurus* is still not absolutely certain because the skull is unknown.‭ ‬Without this it is impossible to look at the dentition and bite characteristics which are required to learn about an animal‭’‬s diet.‭ ‬Other dinosaurs of theTherizinosauridae,‭ ‬were certainly herbivorous,‭ ‬but because carnivores were their immediate known ancestors,‭ ‬it is often speculated that meat may have still formed part of their diet making them omnivorous.

*Therizinosaurus* is usually depicted with the standard featherless body of old dinosaur depictions,‭ ‬but sometimes it is also given feathers.‭ ‬It must be remembered that there is no direct evidence to support the existence of feathers on*Therizinosaurus*.‭ ‬Evidence for feathers mainly comes from the remains of *Beipiaosaurus*,‭ ‬but at a little over two meters in length,‭ ‬it is one of the smallest members of the group.‭ ‬In contrast *Therizinosaurus* is one of the largest,‭ ‬and creatures of its size usually have very little if any form of insulation on the grounds of gigantothermy.