The Oviraptor | The Falsely Accused 'Egg Snatcher'
Once in a while, a fossil will be discovered that allows us to view a snapshot into the behaviour of a prehistoric animal. Such discoveries are rare, but, to palaeontologists, are amongst the most exciting finds out there.
2023-05-19 20:00:00 - Dinosaur Discovery
Such discoveries known to science so far include turtles preserved in the act of mating, ichthyosaurs on the verge of giving birth, and dinosaurs locked in combat.
Sometimes, however, it can take scientists a while to determine what exactly a fossil is showing. In the case of Oviraptor, a small, feathered theropod dinosaur you will likely be familiar with from Cretaceous Mongolia, its assumed feeding habits were, at the time, revolutionary to science.
But how much of it was true?
Today, we will be taking a look at the life and natural history of Oviraptor - we will explore everything from its initial discovery, to the modern science that disproves important theories made surrounding its lifestyle.
We will look at where the dinosaur lived, what it looked like, how it has been represented in the media, and who its closest relatives were amongst the dinosaurs.
Sit back and relax as we take a trip through time to discover Oviraptor - the falsely accused 'egg thief'.
00:00 | Introduction
03:43 | What exactly was Oviraptor?
06:28 | Discovery
08:58 | A falsely accused 'egg thief'
13:44 | Oviraptor in the media
17:35 | Oviraptor's environment
21:38 | The Oviraptorids
24:06 | Outro