Anzu wyliei represents the first well-known fossil evidence of oviraptorosaur dinosaurs in the United States. It lived in what is now North and South Dakota, and like others in the order Oviraptorosauria, it featured a prominent crest on its forehead, a specialized beak, and was likely covered in feathers. Anzu was large for an oviraptorosaur, measuring over 10 feet long.
While the first remains of Anzu wyliei were discovered in 1998, it wasn’t until 2014 that the dinosaur was fully studied and described. Prior to Anzu’s discovery, Oviraptorosaurs (members of the order Oviraptorosauria) were known only in Asia. Anzu’s specialized beak indicates that it may have eaten a wide variety of food, from eggs to plants to small animals.
