Extinct genus of therizinosaur dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous
Falcarius
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, ~139–134.6 Ma[1]
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Reconstructed skeleton, Natural History Museum of Utah
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Clade:
Dinosauria
Clade:
Saurischia
Clade:
Theropoda
Clade:
Maniraptora
Clade:
†Therizinosauria
Genus:
†Falcarius Kirkland et al. 2005
Type species
†Falcarius utahensis
Kirkland et al. 2005
Falcarius (meaning "sickle cutter") is a genus of primitive therizinosaur dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period in what is now North America. Its remains were first collected in the Cedar Mountain Formation in 1999, with subsequent findings made during the 2000s. The genus is known from multiple specimens ranging from immature to fully-grown individuals.
Falcarius was a 4 m (13 ft) long bipedal herbivore with a small head and an elongated neck and tail. Unlike advanced therizinosaurs, Falcarius had a propubic pelvis and three-toed feet with a reduced hallux (first digit).
Falcarius is the basalmost known definitive therizinosaurian genus, and has been considered a transitional form connecting the typical theropod bodyplan to the unusual morphology of Therizinosauridae. Its description in 2005, following that of the basal therizinosauroid Beipiaosaurus from the Early Cretaceous of China in 1999, helped clarify the early evolution of the Therizinosauria and its relationships within the larger group of Theropoda.
^Joeckel, R. M.; Ludvigson, G. A.; Möller, A.; Hotton, C. L.; Suarez, M. B.; Suarez, C. A.; Sames, B.; Kirkland, J. I.; Hendrix, B. (2020). "Chronostratigraphy and terrestrial palaeoclimatology of Berriasian–Hauterivian strata of the Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah, USA". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 498 (1): 75–100. Bibcode:2020GSLSP.498...75J. doi:10.1144/SP498-2018-133. S2CID 210296827.
individuals. Falcarius was a 4 m (13 ft) long bipedal herbivore with a small head and an elongated neck and tail. Unlike advanced therizinosaurs, Falcarius had...
Crambus falcarius is a moth in the family Crambidae. It was described by Philipp Christoph Zeller in 1872. It is found in Colombia. "GlobIZ search". Global...
that helped understanding of the early evolution of the group (such as Falcarius, also from North America). Therizinosaurs were not considered as rare...
Mystus falcarius is a species of catfish endemic to India and Myanmar and is known only from Irrawaddy River, Great Tenasserim River and Chindwin River...
relationship with Falcarius, a taxon that includes all the more derived therizinosauroids, however, it appears to be that Falcarius is more primitive...
including the pubic condition are absent in earlier therizinosaurs like Falcarius, so such structures would have evolved multiple times throughout the maniraptoran...
Therizinosaurids had more specialized skulls compared to primitive members such as Falcarius, which had a generalist, beak-less snout. They had relatively elongated...
length - which approximates the ratio observed in the basal therizinosaur Falcarius (77%). The pubis is 20% longer than the ischium, and it projects anteroventrally...
and feet) which were intermediate between early therizinosaurs such as Falcarius and Beipiaosaurus, and more "advanced" members of the group like therizinosaurids...
belonging to a long-necked theropod similar to basal therizinosauroids like Falcarius. Since this specimen was found in the same locality as the Kiyacursor...
taxa that helped illuminate the early evolution of the group, such as Falcarius in 2005, had also been discovered. Therizinosaurs were no longer considered...
species Falcarius utahensis based on the multiple remains previously described. 2006 Zanno and Erickson briefly discussed the growth of Falcarius which...
stress was greater with the curvature and elongation of the claws in Falcarius, Nothronychus and Therizinosaurus. Some of the highest stress, deformation...
North America include Sauropelta and Gastonia. Therizinosaurs such as Falcarius are also known from the Early Cretaceous of North America. Finally, during...
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