Machairasaurus

Machairasaurus had very long, slender claws on its fingers that were shaped like curved swords, which is how it got its name.1

Its claws were about four times as long as they were tall at the base, making them blade-like.1

Only a partial arm and hand were found, but scientists think the whole dinosaur was about 1.5 metres long, roughly the size of a large dog.1

Machairasaurus lived in a hot, dry desert environment, similar to the modern Australian or Sonoran deserts.1

It belonged to a group of oviraptorids called Ingeniinae, which includes other dinosaurs like Heyuannia and Conchoraptor.31

The fossils of Machairasaurus were found alongside many fossils of the dinosaur Protoceratops, which was also common in that area.1