Skip to content

Cassowaries and Corythoraptors

Artistic reconstruction of Corythoraptor jacobsi.
Artistic reconstruction of Corythoraptor jacobsi. Image: Zhao Chuang

In 2017, paleontologists discovered an unusual dinosaur in southern China called Corythoraptor jacobsi. Dating back to the Late Cretaceous, the bipedal oviratporid was remarkably similar to modern cassowaries, a flightless bird native to Queensland, Australia.

A free-ranging Southern Cassowary at Etty Bay, north Queensland, Australia.
A free-ranging Southern Cassowary at Etty Bay, north Queensland, Australia. Photo: Summerdrought/Wikimedia Commons

In addition to sharing a similar body shape, both animals feature elaborate crests, called a casque, on the top of their heads, which likely serve as advertisement for prospective mates.