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March26, 2025

Anna Murray 

Paleontologists discovered the newly identified dinosaur species, Duonychus tsogtbaatari, in Mongolia's Gobi Desert. The specimen, which includes what may be the world's largest fully preserved dinosaur claw, was unearthed during a pipeline construction operation. This dinosaur, which was around 3 meters tall and weighed about 260 kilos, lived 90-95 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period. 

Duonychus is a therizinosaur, a type of theropod that eats plants and is linked to Tyrannosaurus rex. It featured two prominent curved claws that were around 30 centimeters long, and its hand anatomy reflected a general trend of digit reduction across certain dinosaur lineages. Researchers believe these claws could have been utilized for specialized feeding, digging, defense, or even species identification. 

The discovery sheds new light on dinosaur evolution and behavior. Although having more fingers may appear advantageous for grabbing foliage, scientists believe Duonychus flourished with only two—an adaptation that likely maintained its particular ecological niche.