Haplocheirus

Type Species: Haplocheirus sollers

Classification: Dinosauria – Saurischia – Theropoda – Coelurosauria – Maniraptora - Alvarezsauroidea

Time Period: Late Jurassic

Location: China

Diet: Carnivore 

The six and a half foot long Haplocheirus is not only the oldest known alvarezsauroid theropod but also the largest. Prior to Haplocheirus’ discovery, the alvarezsaurs were thought to have emerged in the Cretaceous; but Haplocheirus predates these other alvarezsaurs by sixty-three million years. The alvarezsaurs were strange little theropods, and they’re identified by their strange hand morphology in which all digits but the thumb were reduced. More derived alvarezsaurs had large, clawed thumbs that seem designed for digging. Because of their small size and peculiar hand morphology, scientists believe they were insectivores that used their thumb claws to search for grub behind tree bark. Another theory is that they used their claws to break into ant and termite colonies. This insectivorous nature is bolstered by their long, elongated snout and small teeth. Haplocheirus retained two more functional fingers, giving it a three-digit claw, that would’ve enabled it to seize prey. This theropod had long legs and was likely a fast runner. It would need to be, for it lived in an environment with much larger predators than itself – such as Sinraptor and Yangchuanosaurus – that might find a little Haplocheirus to be a tasty treat.