Tiny Dinosaur Fed on Termites

Even in the dinosaur world, the small and dainty existed in the form of a mini-dino that likely didn't terrorize any creatures other than termites.

The newly described dinosaur, called Albertonykus borealis, was about the size of a chicken and is now considered the smallest dinosaur to have existed in North America.

"These are bizarre animals. They have long and slender legs, stumpy arms with huge claws and tweezer-like jaws," said researcher Nick Longrich, a paleontologist at the University of Calgary in Canada.

The dinosaur belongs to the Alvarezsauridae family, which includes Alvarezsaurus calvoi, a bird-like dinosaur that likely snagged insects for food, and Mononykus olecranus, another lightweight that was equipped with a pair of stubby claws whose function is not known for sure. Like its relatives, A. borealis had long slender hindlegs, which probably made the dinosaur an agile runner. Stout front legs and hands that each sported a massive claw would have easily torn into logs to snag termites.

Click here to read the entire story

Source: Foxnews.com