New 11-Foot Therizinosaur Discovery Challenges Size Records in China

The nearly complete skeleton, missing only its hind limbs, offers paleontologists a rare look at a species that significantly outweighs the 7-foot Beipiaosaurus inexpectus, previously considered the largest of its era. Published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology, the study highlights how the creature’s closely packed teeth and robust body frame point to a bite force more powerful than expected for its lineage.

Beyond its sheer scale, the dinosaur displays distinct physical markers, including a dorsally extended lip and three fingers equipped with strongly curved, well-preserved claws. Researchers characterize the animal as resembling a feathered bear, a visual testament to the evolutionary oddities of the therizinosaurian group. The name Kayrasaurus draws from the Turkic god of creation, Kayra, while the species designation honors the historical Changli region where the fossil was secured.