Conchoraptor
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| Conchoraptor Fossil range: Late Cretaceous |
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 Profile of Conchoraptor gracilis.
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| Conchoraptor gracilis Barsbold, 1986 |
Conchoraptor (meaning "conch thief") was an oviraptorid dinosaur from the late Cretaceous Period of what is now Asia. Its name reflects the hypothesis that oviraptorids, rather than preying primarily upon eggs as had been traditionally thought, may have been specialized to feed on mollusks. Unlike many other oviraptorids, it didn't have a crest and was relatively small.
The type species, Conchoraptor gracilis, was described by Barsbold, in 1986. At first scientists believed that Conchoraptor was a juvenile Oviraptor and that the animal's missing crest would have grown upon reaching sexual maturity. Further study of multiple skeletons showed that Conchoraptor belonged in a new genus. The hands of the animal were a major reason the conclusion was reached. Anatomically they seemed to be an evolutionary intermediate between an Ingenia-like animal and Oviraptor.
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