Nomingia
Encyclopedia
Nomingia is a genus
of oviraptorid theropod dinosaur
hailing from the Late Cretaceous
Bugin Tsav Beds of Mongolia
.
, pelvic girdle and left tibio-tarsus, holotype
GIN 100/119, were found in 1994 in layers of the Nemegt Svita, dating to the Maastrichtian
. They were named and described as the type species
Nomingia gobiensis by Barsbold, Halszka Osmólska
, Mahito Watabe, Philip Currie
and Khishigjaw Tsogtbaatar in 2000
. The etymology of the binomial
refers to the location where the fossils were found, with the generic name mentioning the Nomingiin Gobi, a nearby part of the Gobi Desert
, which is itself mentioned in the specific descriptor.
to have been 1.7 metres (5.6 ft) long and 20 kilograms (44.1 lb) in weight. It is characterized by a pygostyle
-like mass of five fused vertebrae at the tail end, which Barsbold et al. inferred probably supported a feather
fan as in Caudipteryx
. A similar bone structure had only been found in bird
s before this fossil
was discovered.
As other oviraptorids such as Chirostenotes
, N. gobiensis would have been a medium-sized theropod sporting beak
ed jaws and, probably, a crest used for display
.
, though they considered that it was likely a member of the Caenagnathidae (=Elmisaurinae
). Subsequent cladistic analyses have been contradictory regarding to which precise subgroup it belonged.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of oviraptorid theropod dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
hailing from the Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
Bugin Tsav Beds of Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
.
Discovery and naming
The remains, consisting of most of the vertebral columnVertebral column
In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
, pelvic girdle and left tibio-tarsus, holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
GIN 100/119, were found in 1994 in layers of the Nemegt Svita, dating to the Maastrichtian
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...
. They were named and described as the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
Nomingia gobiensis by Barsbold, Halszka Osmólska
Halszka Osmólska
Halszka Osmólska was a Polish paleontologist who had specialized in Mongolian dinosaurs.She was born in Poznań. A member of the 1965 and 1970 Polish–Mongolian expeditions to the Gobi Desert, she described many finds from these rocks, often with Teresa Maryańska...
, Mahito Watabe, Philip Currie
Philip Currie
Philip Henry Wodehouse Currie, 1st Baron Currie GCB , known as Sir Philip Currie between 1885 and 1899, was a British diplomat. He was Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire from 1893 to 1898 and Ambassador to Italy from 1898 to 1902.-Background and education:Currie was the son of Raikes Currie, Member...
and Khishigjaw Tsogtbaatar in 2000
2000 in paleontology
-Newly named insects:-Newly named placoderms:-Amphibians:-Ichthyosaurs:-Newly named crurotarsans:-Newly named dinosaurs:Data courtesy of George Olshevsky's dinosaur genera list and Dr...
. The etymology of the binomial
Binomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
refers to the location where the fossils were found, with the generic name mentioning the Nomingiin Gobi, a nearby part of the Gobi Desert
Gobi Desert
The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...
, which is itself mentioned in the specific descriptor.
Description
Nomingia is a medium-sized oviraptorosaur, estimated by Gregory S. PaulGregory S. Paul
Gregory Scott Paul is a freelance researcher, author and illustrator who works in paleontology, and more recently has examined sociology and theology. He is best known for his work and research on theropod dinosaurs and his detailed illustrations, both live and skeletal...
to have been 1.7 metres (5.6 ft) long and 20 kilograms (44.1 lb) in weight. It is characterized by a pygostyle
Pygostyle
Pygostyle refers to a number of the final few caudal vertebrae fused into a single ossification, supporting the tail feathers and musculature. In modern birds, the rectrices attach to these....
-like mass of five fused vertebrae at the tail end, which Barsbold et al. inferred probably supported a feather
Feather
Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds and some non-avian theropod dinosaurs. They are considered the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates, and indeed a premier example of a complex evolutionary novelty. They...
fan as in Caudipteryx
Caudipteryx
Caudipteryx is a genus of peacock-sized theropod dinosaurs that lived in the Aptian age of the early Cretaceous Period . They were feathered and remarkably birdlike in their overall appearance....
. A similar bone structure had only been found in bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s before this fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
was discovered.
As other oviraptorids such as Chirostenotes
Chirostenotes
Chirostenotes is a genus of oviraptorosaurian dinosaur from the late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada. The type species is Chirostenotes pergracilis. Some researchers recognize a second species, C...
, N. gobiensis would have been a medium-sized theropod sporting beak
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
ed jaws and, probably, a crest used for display
Display (zoology)
Display is a form of animal behaviour, linked to survival of the species in various ways. One example of display used by some species can be found in the form of courtship, with the male usually having a striking feature that is distinguished by colour, shape or size, used to attract a female...
.
Phylogeny
Barsbold et al. only formally assigned Nomingia to a more general OviraptorosauriaOviraptorosauria
Oviraptorosaurs are a group of feathered maniraptoran dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period of what are now Asia and North America. They are distinct for their characteristically short, beaked, parrot - like skulls, with or without bony crests atop the head...
, though they considered that it was likely a member of the Caenagnathidae (=Elmisaurinae
Elmisaurinae
Elmisaurinae is a subfamily of bird-like maniraptoran theropod dinosaurs within the clade Oviraptorosauria or Oviraptoridae...
). Subsequent cladistic analyses have been contradictory regarding to which precise subgroup it belonged.