Deinocheirus - The Hunchbacked Mega Goose

Published at : 23 Dec 2025

https://www.patreon.com/YDAW -- Deinocheirus has been a mystery to paleontologists for decades since the discovery of a pair of giant fossil arms in the Gobi Desert. For the longest time, they were the only clue to what sort of creature it could possibly be. This led paleoartists and researchers alike to make some very interesting guesses over the years. Was it a giant tyrannosaur or other theropod? What about a ground sloth? Maybe a giant Deinonychus?! Imaginations ran wild until more material was discovered, and we really weren't ready for the mega goose that we got.

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Contents:
0:00 Solved Mysteries
0:51 The Goose is Loose
6:59 Armed and Ponderous
12:08 The Dark Ages
19:09 Terrible Hand, Terrible Claw
23:36 Science Waddles On
28:11 Surviving Nemegt
36:06 The More You Deino
46:19 'Cheirus Kinship
48:52 Head Over Heels
58:29 Future Ducktective Work

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Sources Document:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Vry7rKn513mrfT0HhIAIHZ9CM9GZhhRxWKSK9UH9woU/edit?usp=sharing

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Image credits:

Bügiin Tsav aerial photos from
Funston, G. F., Currie, P. J., Tsogtbaatar, C., & Khishigjav, T. (2021).
A partial oviraptorosaur skeleton suggests low caenagnathid diversity in the Late Cretaceous Nemegt Formation of Mongolia.
PLoS ONE 16(7): e0254564.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254564
CC BY 4.0

Khermiin Tsav, Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park
photos by Ljuba brank
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:10_2_Proti_Kermen_Tsav_(32).JPG
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:10_2_Proti_Kermen_Tsav_(42).JPG
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:10_2_Proti_Kermen_Tsav_(44).JPG
CC BY-SA 4.0

plates 53 & 68 from
Andrews, R. C. (1932).
The New Conquest of Central Asia.
Natural History of Central Asia 1, 1-678
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/45094#page/10/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/newconquestofcen00andr/page/n9/mode/2up
public domain

Okavango delta
photo by Pavel Špindler
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Okavango_delta_-_Botswana_-_panoramio.jpg
CC BY 3.0

deinocheirus reconstructed mounted skeleton
photo by ケラトプスユウタ
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deinocheirus_mount.jpg
CC BY-SA 4.0

Ben van Berkel cable-stayed bridge, Netherlands
photo by Henk Monster
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Ben_van_Berkel_cable_stayed_bridge_across_the_Amsterdam-Rhine_canal_Utrecht_-_panoramio.jpg
CC BY 3.0

Spoonbills
photo by lacopo.lea
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:3_spatole_bianche.JPG
public domain

Tongue-lolling Deinocheirus illustrations:
Stephanie Turnbull (2006)
Usborne Beginners: Dinosaurs
illustrated by Tetsuo Kushii
additional illustrations by Uwe Mayer

Brenda Ralph Lewis (2007)
Nature's Monsters: Meat-eating Dinosaurs
illustrated by Luis V. Rey

Andrew Campbell & Steve Parker (2008)
Visual Factfinder: Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life
illustrations by Martin Camm, Eric Rowe, Mike Saunders, Mike White, & Rudi Vizi
other artworks from Miles Kelly Artwork Bank

Dougal Dixon (2008)
Deinocheirus and Other Big, Fierce Dinosaurs
illustrated by Steve Weston and James Field

List of book covers shown:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12WL9zpow3z-g8njS3cbYT83K6rgn8UT62yqGSLMV6_I/edit?usp=sharing

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