New Ostrich-like Dinosaur Discovered

Published: 28th Oct 2015

A new species of Ornithomimid dinosaur, named Tototlmimus packardensis, has been discovered in northern Mexico. Tototimimus lived 72 million years ago in what was the late Cretaceous Period. It is the first ornithimimid dinosaur known from Mexico.

The name is derived from the Nahuati word ‘tototi’, meaning bird and the Greek word ‘mimus’, meaning ‘mimic’. The species name ‘packardensis’ alludes to the Packard Shale Formation, the geological layer from which the fossil of the new dinosaur was found.  The remains are only fragmentary but still sufficent to present five unique anatomical details to set it apart form other ostrich-like dinosaurs.

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