Description

Ornitholestes hermanni
Late Jurassic (Tithonian)
Morrison Formation
Como Bluff, Wyoming, USA

Excellent 39mm claw. Extremely rare.

Ornitholestes was a rare carnivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 154–150 million years ago. Its name means “bird robber,” though this name stems from early assumptions about its diet and behavior that have since been refined. When it was first discovered in 1903, Ornitholestes was thought to have been a specialized bird hunter, hence the name. However, this idea is no longer widely accepted, as there is no direct evidence linking it to a diet dominated by birds.

First described by Osborn in 1903, Ornitholestes was a theropod known only from a single specimen, part of the group that includes other small, bipedal predators. It is often compared to Compsognathus and the more bird-like Coelurosaurs, suggesting it might have been a close relative of the ancestors of modern birds. However, its exact placement within the theropod family tree remains debated. Fossil evidence of Ornitholestes is very limited, so much about its behavior and ecology remains speculative.