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Description
Deinocheirus mirificus

For over a century, Mongolian paleontology has had a rich history. The first dinosaur eggs were found in the steppes and deserts of Mongolia during the early 1920s. Furthermore, many significant prehistoric animals have been unearthed across the country. From the odd "egg-thief" Oviraptor, to the oddball carnivorous mammal, Andrewsarchus, and the ferocious relative of the T.rex, Tarbosaurus, just to name a few. However, an animal that had puzzled paleontologists for over 40 years was a creature known not for jaws, eggs, or frills, but arms, 7ft long arms.

History of Discovery, Naming and True Appearance:

In 1965, Polish paleontologist Dr.Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska was working on an excavation of the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia. On July 9th, workers came to inform her of a discovery west of their primary dig site in the Atlan Ula III dig field. When she went to examine the find, she was astounded to see what her workers had unearthed. Among the things they found, were vertebral fragments, 5 ribs, and gastralia (belly ribs), but what truly astounded her were the arms, they were the most complete part of the specimen and the largest she had ever seen.
The right arm was virtually complete from its claws up to its shoulder girdles, the same went with the left arm, but it was missing its pronounced 7in long claws. On July 11th, the excavation was finished and the fossils were sent back to Warsaw. There, paleontologist Halszka Osmólska examined the fossils in greater detail and found they were theropod arms, but she was unsure as to what to make of this animal.
However, in 1970, almost 5 years after it was unearthed, she gave the specimen a name, calling it Deinocheirus mirificus. The genus name means, "horrible-hand" combining the Greek word, "deinos" for horrid and "cheir" for hand. However, the species name is more fitting given this creature's history, "mirificus" is Greek for "enigmatic" or "strange", and that would be an apt description for the next 40 years.

When Osmólska described the specimen, she proposed that this was a Carnosaur of some sort. So she created a new family and called it the "Deinocheiridae". Its claws were massive and she thought they were attached to a massive body with a head filled with razor-sharp teeth. This dinosaur was described when the "Dinosaur Renaissance" was in full swing and it would have been an active apex predator. Using its robust arms to rip open prey and would use its maw, would tear its prey apart. Analysis of the forelimbs supported this, finding they resembled Allosaurus in build. However, she also noted similarities to animals like Ornithomimus. Across the Iron Curtain and the Atlantic, Yale Paleontologist John Ostrom had caught wind of this oddball find from Mongolia. From reading the description and seeing photographs of the specimen. He proposed this was an Ornithomimid because of the fact that it had characteristics that resembled the forelimbs of various American Ornithomimids like Ornithomimus itself and Struthiomimus. Paleontologists in the 70s proposed a theropod order, "Deinocheirosauria" lumping Deinocheirus itself and the equally long-armed Therizinosaurs in this order. However, this theory has largely fallen out of favor.
By the mid to early 2000s, most paleontologists largely accepted that this was an Ornithomimid. Its claws were similar in shape to other Ornithomimids and they were clearly was not the claws of an apex predator. So, it was thought this could have been a giant Ornithomimid similar in structure to its medium-large contemporary, Gallimimus.

Though by the 2010s, a very different picture would emerge about this enigmatic dino.

In 2013, paleontologists Phillip J. Currie, Yuong-Nam Lee, and Phil R. Bell, announced ahead of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference that two new specimens had been uncovered. Furthermore, they had seen the fossils first-hand as early as 2011.
Back in 2006, A Korean-Mongolian expedition had uncovered a hindlimb a partial pelvis, and more vertebra very similar to that of the 1965 specimen. Then, in 2009, another specimen yielded more vertebra, another relatively complete forelimb, more vertebra, and crucially a skull. However, they were unable to secure and transport them back to Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia's Capital) or to South Korea.
And on both occasions, fossil poachers damaged both of the specimens and took the more valuable fossils. Poachers often take complete parts of the animal and destroy what they don't need. Nearly complete skeletons, parts such as limbs, teeth, and skulls are usually kept since they fetch a high price on the Black Market and wealthy collectors will pay top-dollar to have a one-of-a-kind fossil in their collection. All that was left, was a single toe bone.
In 2011, French fossil trader François Escuillé saw a bizarre-looking skull as well as limb bones which reminded him of Deinocheirus. Escuillé contacted Belgian paleontologist Pascal Godefroit and confirmed what he suspected, these bones did indeed belong to the terrible hand. Godefroit got in touch with the Korean-Mongolian expedition team and Escuillé bought them off of the private collector and donated them to the Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium. There, paleontologists Currie, Lee, Bell, and Godefroit examined the fossils in 2011. Among the things they found was the fragmentary toe bone that the poachers did not destroy fitted the foot of this specimen perfectly, so this was indeed one of the specimens poached from 2009. However, while they had a chance to examine it briefly in Europe, the fossils were repatriated back to Mongolia where further research on this strange dinosaur could continue.
Then, in 2014, the public finally had a glimpse as to what this creature looked like, and it was more peculiar than anyone could imagine.

Description:

Deinocheirus was indeed an Ornithomimid. However, it was completely different in terms of morphology.
It was larger and more robust compared to other Ornithomimids. At the time, Gallimimus was the largest known Ornithomimid with relatively complete material. However, Gallimimus clocked in at just over 950lbs and around 20ft long. Deinocheirus weighed in at around 7 tons and being over 35ft long. The legs were shorter compared to other Ornithomimids and far more robust. Suggesting that Deinocheirus was not a capable runner compared to its cousins.
At the end of the tail, the vertebra had fused into a pygostyle-like structure. Similar to modern birds and their tail feathers, some paleontologists have theorized that Deinocheirus could have possessed a fan of feathers. Ornithomimids are known to possess feathers based on various fossilized skin impressions from Ornithomimus specimens from Canada. It's entirely possible that Deinocheirus had feathers as well. The vertebra near the sacrum (the pelvis) had heightened neural spines. Perhaps, this structure could have formed a hump-like structure near the hips. And, at 12-13ft tall at the hips, this was one of the tallest theropods that ever walked the planet. Finally, perhaps most bizarre was the skull. At over 3ft long, and equipped with a broad beak and very deep skull, the skull structure bore more resemblance to that of Hadrosaurid dinosaurs more than the Ornithomimids.

Habitat and Behavior:

From studying the specimens, paleontologists know that Deinocheirus had gastroliths inside of its gut. Meaning it swallowed stones to process the food and did not pre-process it in its mouth. In fact, over 1,400 gastroliths were found inside one of the torsos of the recovered individuals. Usually, this means this was an animal that ate plants in its environment as the stones help grind up plant material inside of its gut. Also, other contents inside of its gut were fish scales, so like most Ornithomimids, it was an omnivore. A study from 2019 indicates that Deinocheirus evolved its larger size by occupying a niche similar to therizinosaurs and sauropods. So while it was likely an omnivore, it was predominantly a herbivore.

As previously stated, its claws were not designed for predation given its claws were too dull to cut open prey. Now that more complete material has been gathered, it's believed they used them for defense against predators in the region.
70,000,000 years ago, the Nemegt formation was a lush swamp similar to the Okavango Delta in Botswana or the Bayou of Louisiana. Deinocheirus would have foraged for food in the various wetlands be it fish or plant material. However, it also would have shared the region with apex predators, especially the Tyrannosaurs. The smaller Alioramus could have taken juvenile individuals, but the real apex predator was Tarbosaurus which approached Deinocheirus' size and would have been a formidable predator. Both its claws and its large size would have been a deterrence to combat against predation from the tyrant lizards that prowled the lands. It makes sense as well, its larger body size and bulk mean it could not run from predators so more than likely, it'd stand its ground against a potential attacker and used its claws for defense.

Extinction:

Deinocheirus was also the last known Deinocheirid that lived in the Mesozoic. Why it vanished is not well understood, however, its relatives would persist for another 4,000,000 years until the KT Mass Extinction event.

Deinocheirus and its history offer a unique insight into Mongolian Paleontology. It also went from one of the least understood and enigmatic Ornithomimids, to through resourcefulness and recovery of poached remains, became one of the most well understood and of all Ornithomimids.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Okay, I was in the mood for an Ornithomimid and thought I'd do one of the most famous (and bizarre) of all.

Deinocheirus has two models for ZT2, but I used this one because it had feathers and the other one looked like something out of Jurassic Park. I know the skin is a bit blurry, but I've got to make do with what I have. From what I understand, both of them were meshed from a Therizinosaurus that DinosaurManZT2 (which I will cover at some point in the future) and this one was reskinned and re-meshed by Demon Hunter on TRT.

Will this be in Past Meets Present, at this point, yes. I've got to go to Mongolia eventually and the Nemegt is the best location to target. Likely 2 locations in one with the Flaming Cliffs to snag Velociraptor and Protoceratops.

Original model and skin by Demon Hunter:
Deinocheirus (Demon Hunter) | ZT2 Download Library Wiki | Fandom

For Past Meets Present:
Past Meets Present (Pt4 is Up) - The ZT2 Round Table

Description
Deinocheirus mirificus

For over a century, Mongolian paleontology has had a rich history. The first dinosaur eggs were found in the steppes and deserts of Mongolia during the early 1920s. Furthermore, many significant prehistoric animals have been unearthed across the country. From the odd "egg-thief" Oviraptor, to the oddball carnivorous mammal, Andrewsarchus, and the ferocious relative of the T.rex, Tarbosaurus, just to name a few. However, an animal that had puzzled paleontologists for over 40 years was a creature known not for jaws, eggs, or frills, but arms, 7ft long arms.

History of Discovery, Naming and True Appearance:

In 1965, Polish paleontologist Dr.Zofia Kielan-Jaworowska was working on an excavation of the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia. On July 9th, workers came to inform her of a discovery west of their primary dig site in the Atlan Ula III dig field. When she went to examine the find, she was astounded to see what her workers had unearthed. Among the things they found, were vertebral fragments, 5 ribs, and gastralia (belly ribs), but what truly astounded her were the arms, they were the most complete part of the specimen and the largest she had ever seen.
The right arm was virtually complete from its claws up to its shoulder girdles, the same went with the left arm, but it was missing its pronounced 7in long claws. On July 11th, the excavation was finished and the fossils were sent back to Warsaw. There, paleontologist Halszka Osmólska examined the fossils in greater detail and found they were theropod arms, but she was unsure as to what to make of this animal.
However, in 1970, almost 5 years after it was unearthed, she gave the specimen a name, calling it Deinocheirus mirificus. The genus name means, "horrible-hand" combining the Greek word, "deinos" for horrid and "cheir" for hand. However, the species name is more fitting given this creature's history, "mirificus" is Greek for "enigmatic" or "strange", and that would be an apt description for the next 40 years.

When Osmólska described the specimen, she proposed that this was a Carnosaur of some sort. So she created a new family and called it the "Deinocheiridae". Its claws were massive and she thought they were attached to a massive body with a head filled with razor-sharp teeth. This dinosaur was described when the "Dinosaur Renaissance" was in full swing and it would have been an active apex predator. Using its robust arms to rip open prey and would use its maw, would tear its prey apart. Analysis of the forelimbs supported this, finding they resembled Allosaurus in build. However, she also noted similarities to animals like Ornithomimus. Across the Iron Curtain and the Atlantic, Yale Paleontologist John Ostrom had caught wind of this oddball find from Mongolia. From reading the description and seeing photographs of the specimen. He proposed this was an Ornithomimid because of the fact that it had characteristics that resembled the forelimbs of various American Ornithomimids like Ornithomimus itself and Struthiomimus. Paleontologists in the 70s proposed a theropod order, "Deinocheirosauria" lumping Deinocheirus itself and the equally long-armed Therizinosaurs in this order. However, this theory has largely fallen out of favor.
By the mid to early 2000s, most paleontologists largely accepted that this was an Ornithomimid. Its claws were similar in shape to other Ornithomimids and they were clearly was not the claws of an apex predator. So, it was thought this could have been a giant Ornithomimid similar in structure to its medium-large contemporary, Gallimimus.

Though by the 2010s, a very different picture would emerge about this enigmatic dino.

In 2013, paleontologists Phillip J. Currie, Yuong-Nam Lee, and Phil R. Bell, announced ahead of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference that two new specimens had been uncovered. Furthermore, they had seen the fossils first-hand as early as 2011.
Back in 2006, A Korean-Mongolian expedition had uncovered a hindlimb a partial pelvis, and more vertebra very similar to that of the 1965 specimen. Then, in 2009, another specimen yielded more vertebra, another relatively complete forelimb, more vertebra, and crucially a skull. However, they were unable to secure and transport them back to Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia's Capital) or to South Korea.
And on both occasions, fossil poachers damaged both of the specimens and took the more valuable fossils. Poachers often take complete parts of the animal and destroy what they don't need. Nearly complete skeletons, parts such as limbs, teeth, and skulls are usually kept since they fetch a high price on the Black Market and wealthy collectors will pay top-dollar to have a one-of-a-kind fossil in their collection. All that was left, was a single toe bone.
In 2011, French fossil trader François Escuillé saw a bizarre-looking skull as well as limb bones which reminded him of Deinocheirus. Escuillé contacted Belgian paleontologist Pascal Godefroit and confirmed what he suspected, these bones did indeed belong to the terrible hand. Godefroit got in touch with the Korean-Mongolian expedition team and Escuillé bought them off of the private collector and donated them to the Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium. There, paleontologists Currie, Lee, Bell, and Godefroit examined the fossils in 2011. Among the things they found was the fragmentary toe bone that the poachers did not destroy fitted the foot of this specimen perfectly, so this was indeed one of the specimens poached from 2009. However, while they had a chance to examine it briefly in Europe, the fossils were repatriated back to Mongolia where further research on this strange dinosaur could continue.
Then, in 2014, the public finally had a glimpse as to what this creature looked like, and it was more peculiar than anyone could imagine.

Description:

Deinocheirus was indeed an Ornithomimid. However, it was completely different in terms of morphology.
It was larger and more robust compared to other Ornithomimids. At the time, Gallimimus was the largest known Ornithomimid with relatively complete material. However, Gallimimus clocked in at just over 950lbs and around 20ft long. Deinocheirus weighed in at around 7 tons and being over 35ft long. The legs were shorter compared to other Ornithomimids and far more robust. Suggesting that Deinocheirus was not a capable runner compared to its cousins.
At the end of the tail, the vertebra had fused into a pygostyle-like structure. Similar to modern birds and their tail feathers, some paleontologists have theorized that Deinocheirus could have possessed a fan of feathers. Ornithomimids are known to possess feathers based on various fossilized skin impressions from Ornithomimus specimens from Canada. It's entirely possible that Deinocheirus had feathers as well. The vertebra near the sacrum (the pelvis) had heightened neural spines. Perhaps, this structure could have formed a hump-like structure near the hips. And, at 12-13ft tall at the hips, this was one of the tallest theropods that ever walked the planet. Finally, perhaps most bizarre was the skull. At over 3ft long, and equipped with a broad beak and very deep skull, the skull structure bore more resemblance to that of Hadrosaurid dinosaurs more than the Ornithomimids.

Habitat and Behavior:

From studying the specimens, paleontologists know that Deinocheirus had gastroliths inside of its gut. Meaning it swallowed stones to process the food and did not pre-process it in its mouth. In fact, over 1,400 gastroliths were found inside one of the torsos of the recovered individuals. Usually, this means this was an animal that ate plants in its environment as the stones help grind up plant material inside of its gut. Also, other contents inside of its gut were fish scales, so like most Ornithomimids, it was an omnivore. A study from 2019 indicates that Deinocheirus evolved its larger size by occupying a niche similar to therizinosaurs and sauropods. So while it was likely an omnivore, it was predominantly a herbivore.

As previously stated, its claws were not designed for predation given its claws were too dull to cut open prey. Now that more complete material has been gathered, it's believed they used them for defense against predators in the region.
70,000,000 years ago, the Nemegt formation was a lush swamp similar to the Okavango Delta in Botswana or the Bayou of Louisiana. Deinocheirus would have foraged for food in the various wetlands be it fish or plant material. However, it also would have shared the region with apex predators, especially the Tyrannosaurs. The smaller Alioramus could have taken juvenile individuals, but the real apex predator was Tarbosaurus which approached Deinocheirus' size and would have been a formidable predator. Both its claws and its large size would have been a deterrence to combat against predation from the tyrant lizards that prowled the lands. It makes sense as well, its larger body size and bulk mean it could not run from predators so more than likely, it'd stand its ground against a potential attacker and used its claws for defense.

Extinction:

Deinocheirus was also the last known Deinocheirid that lived in the Mesozoic. Why it vanished is not well understood, however, its relatives would persist for another 4,000,000 years until the KT Mass Extinction event.

Deinocheirus and its history offer a unique insight into Mongolian Paleontology. It also went from one of the least understood and enigmatic Ornithomimids, to through resourcefulness and recovery of poached remains, became one of the most well understood and of all Ornithomimids.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Okay, I was in the mood for an Ornithomimid and thought I'd do one of the most famous (and bizarre) of all.

Deinocheirus has two models for ZT2, but I used this one because it had feathers and the other one looked like something out of Jurassic Park. I know the skin is a bit blurry, but I've got to make do with what I have. From what I understand, both of them were meshed from a Therizinosaurus that DinosaurManZT2 (which I will cover at some point in the future) and this one was reskinned and re-meshed by Demon Hunter on TRT.

Will this be in Past Meets Present, at this point, yes. I've got to go to Mongolia eventually and the Nemegt is the best location to target. Likely 2 locations in one with the Flaming Cliffs to snag Velociraptor and Protoceratops.

Original model and skin by Demon Hunter:
Deinocheirus (Demon Hunter) | ZT2 Download Library Wiki | Fandom

For Past Meets Present:
Past Meets Present (Pt4 is Up) - The ZT2 Round Table