Shri rapax, the small dinosaur with robust thumbs
A new dromaeosaurid from Mongolia had especially strong hands.
In the Gobi Desert, a relative of Velociraptor turned up with a thumb much more robust than normal.
Paleontologists described a new dinosaur species in the journal Historical Biology on July 13, 2025: Shri rapax, a dromaeosaurid, the group of feathered theropods that includes Velociraptor. Its remains were found in Mongolia, in rocks 75 to 72 million years old.
What stands out most is its hand: the thumb is about 150% more robust than in related species. That suggests it used it with great force, possibly to grip prey.
The find shows that Central Asian dromaeosaurids were more diverse than thought and that, in the same environment, different species may have specialized in different ways of hunting.
The paper presents it as a "bird-like" dinosaur and places it in the Campanian Djadokhta Formation, probably at the Ukhaa Tolgod locality, given its exceptional articulated preservation. The authors argue that its extremely robust hands support the idea of niche partitioning among velociraptorines: similar species living together while exploiting different resources. It is a close relative of Shri devi, described in 2021.
Key facts
- Species: Shri rapax, a dromaeosaurid.
- Age: 75 to 72 million years.
- Thumb about 150% more robust.
- Published in Historical Biology on July 13, 2025.
- From the Djadokhta Formation, Mongolia.
New specimens will help explain how it used its hands and how it hunted.
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