We took some time this week to look back at dinosaur projects we’ve done, and stumbled upon this short video showing our Oryctodromeus drawing in progress (drawing inspired by Oryctodromeus and meerkats, because at the time we were really into the show Meerkat Manor)
So here it is!
Oryctodromeus was the “digging runner” dinosaur, and the first non-avian dinosaur we know of that burrowed!
How do we know?
Well, three of them (one adult and two juveniles) were found packed together in a burrow, which is pretty telling. It also had features that would have helped it dig, such as powerful shoulders, muscly arms, and sturdy hips (all good things to brace itself while digging). And it had a beak it could use as a shovel
It’s a pretty cute, cool dinosaur, and the fact that it burrowed is why we often talk about going down Oryctodromeus holes (instead of rabbit holes) on our show
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