Scientists Just Dug Up a Real-Life Prehistoric Edward Scissorhands—But It Was a Vegan
Move over T. rex, there’s a new clawed weirdo in town—and this one didn’t bite, it snacked on leaves. Introducing Duonychus tsogtbaatari, a two-fingered dinosaur species just discovered in Mongolia that’s flipping everything we thought we knew about dinosaur evolution on its head.
It had claws the size of a human forearm. Giant tongs for arms. Only two fingers. And the swagger of a prehistoric sloth with attitude.
But here’s the kicker—it wasn’t a predator.
Why Scientists Are Freaking Out About This Discovery
This isn’t just another fossil find. It’s one of the best-preserved keratin claw sheaths ever found—the tough outer layer (like what your nails are made of) that wraps over the bone.
“It’s close to a foot long,” says Dr. Darla Zelenitsky, a leading paleontologist from the University of Calgary.
That’s 30 centimeters of razor-sharp keratin—longer than the actual claw bone. This detail alone rewrites how we visualize dino claws.
Normally, keratin doesn’t survive fossilization. But in the arid heat of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert? Nature decided to flex.
Two Fingers? That’s Not a Deformity—That’s Evolution at Work
Unlike other therizinosaurs (yes, that’s a thing), Duonychus ditched the third finger entirely. Why? Efficiency.
Most of its cousins had three-fingered hands. But Duonychus streamlined its limbs to just two giant claws, possibly for better control while foraging. Imagine a giraffe-sized herbivore yanking down branches like it’s reaching for the top shelf at the grocery store—with garden shears.
Forget tiny T. rex arms. These limbs were functional, active, and built for grabbing—not slashing.
It Looked Like a Sloth. But Make It Metal.
Picture this: a 3-meter-tall, 260-kg dinosaur lumbering through Cretaceous forests. Feathered like a giant bird, hands like barbecue tongs, and claws like a horror movie prop.
It was part of the therizinosaur family, distant cousins of both predators like Velociraptor and today’s birds. But instead of hunting, they evolved into plant-munching machines, complete with:
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Beak-like mouths
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Leaf-shaped teeth
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Feathers (yes, actual proto-feathers)
Evolution didn’t just bend the rules here—it went full Picasso.
What Makes This Fossil So Important in 2025?
Unlike past dino finds, this one gives us a nearly complete picture: claws, spine, hips, legs, tail, even the sheath. And that’s rare.
Paleontologists say this helps finally answer long-standing questions about how therizinosaurs used their limbs. Were the claws just for show? Defense? Mating rituals? Turns out—mostly for foraging, but with a side of self-defense.
And it wasn’t slow or clumsy either—those limbs were likely strong and precise, built for daily survival, not brute force.
The Internet Is Calling It a “Barbecue Dino” — But It’s Way Smarter Than That
Because of those tong-like arms, Duonychus tsogtbaatari has already earned comparisons to:
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Edward Scissorhands
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Kitchen tongs
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Sloths on steroids
But don’t let the memes fool you. This species is helping scientists understand digit loss, feather evolution, and how some carnivorous dinosaurs evolved into plant-loving birds. Yeah—it’s that big.
Quick Q&A for the Curious
Q: Was Duonychus dangerous?
A: Not really. It was herbivorous, but those claws could mess you up if threatened.
Q: How old is this species?
A: Around 90 million years old, from the Late Cretaceous period.
Q: Where was it found?
A: The Bayanshiree Formation in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia.
Q: Why only two fingers?
A: Evolution likely favored fewer, larger digits for strength and function over finesse.
Q: Was it feathered?
A: Most likely, yes. Therizinosaurs are closely related to feathered dinosaurs and early birds.
Want to see paleo-history evolve in real-time? This two-clawed oddball is your front-row ticket.
This isn’t just another fossil. Duonychus tsogtbaatari proves that dinosaurs didn’t just evolve teeth and terror—they adapted for nuance, precision, and survival. And sometimes, that meant looking like a leafy nightmare with oversized salad tongs.
