Scientists have identified a rare dinosaur species with only two claws in Mongolia's Gobi Desert. Named Duonychus tsogtbaatari, this dinosaur belonged to the Therizinosaur group, which typically had three claws and walked on two legs. 

Weighing around 260kg, the medium-sized dinosaur had distinctively long, curved claws. Researchers suggest these claws, coupled with strong flexing ability, helped it grasp vegetation efficiently.

Therizinosaurs, a group of plant-eating or omnivorous theropods, lived in Asia and North America during the Cretaceous Period, which lasted from 145 to 66 million years ago, reports BBC. 

Among them, Therizinosaurus—recognised for its enormous claws—gained fame through its appearance in ‘Jurassic World Dominion’. Describing the group, Dr Darla Zelenitsky, a study co-author from the University of Calgary, noted their "awkward" appearance. 

The newly discovered specimen was excavated from the Bayanshiree Formation, a Late Cretaceous fossil site in the Gobi Desert, dating back 100.5 to 66 million years.

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UNESCO acknowledges the Mongolian Gobi as one of the world's richest sites for dinosaur fossils, particularly from the Cretaceous period—the final chapter of the dinosaur era. 

The study highlighted that Duonychus tsogtbaatari’s claws measured nearly a foot in length, significantly exceeding the size of the underlying bone. Besides grasping, these two-fingered hands might have been used for digging, display, or even as weapons. 

Although two-fingered dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex are well known, Duonychus developed this trait independently.

The specimen also preserved the first-ever recorded keratinous sheath of a therizinosaur, a structure similar to human fingernails, which may have aided in movement, defence, or capturing prey.