Struthiomimus fossil map
Where fossils of Struthiomimus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 75 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 75 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Theropods |
|---|---|
| Lived | 83.6–66 million years ago (Campanian to Maastrichtian) |
| Periods | Cretaceous |
| Family | Ornithomimidae |
| Named by | Osborn 1916 |
| Fossil records | 18 occurrences at 16 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Canada, United States |
| Rock formations | Oldman, Kirtland, Dinosaur Park, Horseshoe Canyon, Ferris, txn:38539 |
About Struthiomimus
Struthiomimus (meaning "ostrich mimic", from the Ancient Greek στρούθειος/stroutheios, meaning "of the ostrich", and μῖμος/mimos, meaning "mimic" or "imitator") is a genus of ornithomimid dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of what is now western North America. They were long-legged, bipedal, ostrich-like dinosaurs with toothless beaks. The type species, Struthiomimus altus, is one of the more common, smaller dinosaurs found in Dinosaur Provincial Park. Their overall abundance, in addition to their toothless beak, suggests that these animals were mainly herbivorous or (more likely) omnivorous, rather than purely carnivorous. Similar to the modern ostriches, emus, and rheas (among other birds), these dinosaurs likely lived as opportunistic omnivores, supplementing a largely plant-based diet with a variety of small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, invertebrates, and anything else they could fit into their mouth, as they foraged.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Struthiomimus (revision 1373226340), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in.
