Ornithomimus was an ostrich-like feathered dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period of what is now North America. It was a fast bipedal theropod equipped with a small toothless beak that may indicate an omnivorous diet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its name means \"bird imitator,\" and refers to its presumed similarity to another dinosaur. It had a small head, large eyes, a relatively large brain, a long neck, a long tail, long legs and hollow bones. It had three toes that were unusual among dinosaurs, as they were all about the same length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Othniel Charles Marsh named it in 1890 based on a partial foot and hand from the Maastrichtian Denver Formation. The legs and feet of Ornithomimus, along with its toothless beak and long neck, resembled today's living ostrich, except for its long tail. It had been a fast runner whose long tail acted as a counterweight and stabilizer in quick turns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the brains of ornithomimids were large, but that does not mean that they had a sign of higher intelligence. Ornithomimus differed from other dinosaurs such as Struthiomimus; they had a short back, long slender forearms, straight hands, claws on the feet, metacarpals and fingers of similar length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ornithomimus lived in flocks whose chicks had fluffy feathers and a footprint on the first thing they saw. It fed on both terrestrial vegetation and aquatic particles. It was about 15-20 feet long and 6-8 feet tall, almost half of its length was its neck and tail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n