Dinosaur Plush and the 'Road-Runner' Dinosaur

Dinosaur Plush and the 'Road-Runner' Dinosaur

Thanks to the ongoing allure that surrounds the largest animals to ever walk the plant, dinosaur plush toys are as popular as ever. With the science and research communities continuously uncovering new {dinosaur] species, dinosaur plush never have to worry about losing their 'it' factor in the world of soft toys.

Canadian, British, and Chinese researchers published a new study in 2010 about the a new dinosaur that was discovered in Xixia County the Henan province in China. They describe it as the smallest known specimen ever found, likely measuring around 19.6 inches in length and also one of the best adapted in terms of its body design for running.

The fossil found of this new dinosaur species is called Xixianykus zhangi a Late Cretaceous 'road-runner.' The skeleton discovered shows it had several body adaptations which made it ideal for fast and efficient running. Its upper leg bone (the thigh or femur) was very short when compared to its lower leg and foot. According to researchers, this is the same type of pattern that can found in many running animals today. This 'road runner's' hind limb, pelvis, and backbone also gave it tremendous stability at the same time as reducing any unnecessary movements which would have wasted precious energy - all of which were key features for the animal when running across landscapes from prehistoric times.

Canadian researcher Dr. Corwin Sullivan, and one of the authors of the study said "the limb proportions of Xixianykus are among the most extreme ever recorded for a theropod dinosaur. This doesn't provide a basis for estimating its top speed, but it does show that Xixianykus was a highly efficient runner. Several other characteristics of the skeleton reinforce this impression." Researchers also believe that some of the body characteristics were probably a factor in other activities the animal partook in digging for both ants and termites, for example.

Like other more famous theropod dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor, the 'road runner' probably had strong, short arms which were tipped by a massive claw that enabled it to break into insect nests or logs. Despite the fact that the 'road runner's' forequarters were not preserved, its closest relative was the alvarezsaurs (part of the theropod dinosaur group), which would have fed in much the same way. Ultimately, with the type of body the animal had, it gave it the ability to both run and dig at the same time. While it might seem strange for an animal to even be able to accomplish these two tasks all at once, according to British researcher Dr. David Hone, "digging and running actually work quite well together." Given the fact that some modern species which eat termites, are able to travel long distances between the colonies of the insects, with the 'road' runner' being so efficient at running, it too would have been able to follow this same pattern. In addition, with the threat of predators to small dinosaurs so prevalent, being able to exit as quickly as possible if danger approached would have been a valuable tool for this particular animal.

While it's unlikely a 'road runner' type of dinosaur plush is currently available given researchers are just beginning to learn about this new species, there are many more from the theropod group from which to choose; Tyrannosaurus rex is one such dinosaur plush toy that is one of the more popular.

dinosaur plush

plush giant toy

Copyright Shelley Vassall, 2010. Contact the author to obtain permission for republication.

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