Alxasaurus was a dinosaur that lived in what is today the Inner Mongolia
region of China.
It lived during the mid Cretaceous period,
around about 112 to 100 million years ago.
Alxasaurus is one of the earliest known members of the superfamily known as
Therizinosauroidea ("Therizinosaurs" for short). This is an unusual subgroup of
Theropod dinosaurs
that were herbivores (ate plants) - most
Theropods
were carnivores (ate meat).
Like other members of Therizinosauroidea, Alxasaurus was bipedal (walked on two legs), had a large gut for
processing plant material, and was equipped with a long neck, a short tail, and long claws on its hands.
While Alxasaurus has many typical Therizinosaur features, it also shared
a number of other features (like a particular bone found in its wrist, known as "semilunate carpal bone")
with other non-Therizinosaur Theropods - it was these features that helped scientists to first realize that
Therizinosaurs were a subgroup within the
Theropods.
Alxasaurus is believed to have grown up to about 12 feet (3.8 meters) long, and probably weighed around 2.5 tons.
There is, at the time of writing, no direct evidence about whether Alxasaurus had feathers, but we know that its
close relative Beipiaosaurus was feathered, so it does possible that Alxasaurus had
feathers too.
"Alxasaurus" means "Alxa lizard". This name was chosen because the animal's fossils were discovered in the Alxa Desert (also known as the "Alashan Desert") in the Inner Mongolia region of China.
Alxasaurus was a member of the Saurischia ("lizard-hipped") order of dinosaurs. What this means, is that although Alxasaurus was not closely related to lizards, it did have similarly shaped pelvic bones.
Alxasaurus was a Theropod - a member of a group of related bipedal dinosaurs that included the ancestors of birds (although Alxasaurus was not itself an ancestor of birds).
Alxasaurus lived between about 112 million years ago and 100 million years ago, during the Cretaceous period.
Alxasaurus lived in what is today the Inner Mongolia region of China.
Alxasaurus was a herbivore (plant-eater).
Alxasaurus was about 12 feet (3.8 meters) long.
Alxasaurus weighed about 2.5 tons.
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