Conchoraptor gracilis means āgracile mussel plundererā and it stands as a reference to an interesting theory on what oviraptorosaurs were doing with their sharp beaks and strong bite-forces. Described in 1986 by renowned paleontologist Rinchen Barsbold, the name Conchoraptor reflects Barsboldās hypothesis that oviraptorosaurs may have been specialized in cracking open the shells of mollusks. However, Conchoraptor lived in an arid desert environment filled with sand dunes and only intermittent streams. If there were mussels here, there were not enough to feed a population of specialized mollusk-hunters. Conchoraptor was probably more likely to feed on tough vegetation and perhaps small animals, like other oviraptorosaurs. Though if it could find a mussel in the desert, Iām sure it would have had no trouble cracking it open.
Due to its lack of crest, Conchoraptor was originally thought to be a juvenile Oviraptor. However, it had differing anatomy from Oviraptor, especially in its hands. Since then, two dozen specimens of Conchoraptor, including large adults also without crests, have been found. It did seem to have adaptations within its skull for hearing low-frequency sounds, so perhaps it had no need of the crest.
Conchoraptor is known from both the Barun Goyot and the Nemegt Formations of Late Cretaceous Mongolia. In the Barun Goyot, it would have lived alongside fellow oviraptorid Heyuannia, as well as dromaeosaurids like Kuru, Shri, Hulsanpes, and Natovenator, birds like Gobipteryx and Hollanda, alvarezsaurs like Ceratonykus and Parvicursor, and indeterminate sauropods. Ornithischians included the pachycephalosaur Tylocephale, the protoceratopsids Bagaceratops and Breviceratops, and the ankylosaurids Saichania, Tarchia, and Zaraapelta.
A million or so years later, Conchoraptors in the Nemegt Formation would have lived alongside fellow oviraptorid Oksoso, as well as birds like Teviornis and Gurilynia, the ornithomimid Gallimimus, the pachycephalosaur Prenocephale, the hadrosaur Saurolophus, indeterminate therizinosaurids and sauropods, and the tyrannosaur Tarbosaurus.
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This piece is part of a project that fell through, the "ABC of Dinosaurs", where I illustrated a selection of extinct animals, some famous, others less well known in fanciful depictions. I do not claim full realism, only giving my take on one of my greatest passions in life.
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I said to myselfĀ āI donāt feel like doing a scene, Iāll do something simpleā
then not 10 minutes laterĀ āI better detail it a lot more to compensate itās lack of sceneā and here we have the chicken-parrot that is Conchoraptor
I chose this oviraptorsaurid because its skull looks SO similar to modern parrots- just... squashed
If they didnāt have similar diets Iāll eat my hat
