Zamyn Khondt oviraptorine. Original artwork from Feathered Dinosaurs.

2006.
Watercolour and gouache on Arches paper 470 x 620 mm, unframed, signed and dated by artist.

A complete skull of a new species or genus of oviraptorine dinosaur was discovered in 1979 on the joint Soviet-Mongolian expedition to the Gobi Desert at the Zamyn Khondt locality. The skull shows a well-developed crest similar in shape and form to that of Citipati, to which it is probably very closely related. Like Citipati it was a moderate-sized dinosaur, about two-and-a-half to three metres in length. We know little about this as yet unnamed beast. It probably ate hardshelled food as it had a stout tooth-like process on its palate that would have helped crack hard seeds or shells.

Artist's note: In a similar fashion to Khaan, this animal has been illustrated running at speed, with the forearms deployed as a motion stabiliser. The facial display feathers include contrasting, reflective cheek stripes and an erectile crest.

Infraorder: Oviraptosauria
Family: Oviraptoridae
Age: Late Cretaceous
Locality: Zamyn Khondt, Omnogov, south-western Mongolia.