Description

Late Cretaceous

Djadokhta Formation

Mongolia

41mm foot claw. Repaired tip.

Dinosaur, Theropod.

It can be tough to ID isolated teeth or claws because the size and shape may be about the same among related taxa in a deposit.  A theropod foot claw tends to have a basic function of providing an extra degree of traction while walking or running so the shape tends to be about the same among various genera.  When a theropod foot claw has developed a more specialized function, it has a much different shape which can allow an identification to genus.