Cretaceous
Nothronychus
Nothronychus mckinleyi
The catalogue presents Nothronychus as a herbivore member of Therizinosauridae that lived during the Cretaceous, between 91.0–89.0 Ma. Its estimated range is 4.5–6.0 m in length and 800–1000 kg in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Moreno Hill Formation, New Mexico, USA. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Nothronychus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Kirkland and Wolfe (2001).
The PBDB places it in Therizinosauridae, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Therizinosauridae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Therizinosauridae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range is the Turonian.
The PBDB catalogues 1 occurrence, with material from the Moreno Hill Formation (1). Provenance: United States.
The catalogue records the holotype as MSM P4166 and the type locality as “Moreno Hill Formation, New Mexico, USA”.
- MSM P4166
- Moreno Hill Formation, New Mexico, USA
The catalogue's reference measurements are 4.5–6.0 m in length and 800–1000 kg in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 4.5-6.0 m
- 800-1000 kg
The record gathers 13 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic 3D reconstruction
There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.
Physical Specifications
- Length
- 4.5–6.0 m
- Weight
- 800–1000 kg
- Period
- Cretaceous
- Time range
- 91.0–89.0 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 2001
- Described by
- Kirkland & Wolfe
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Saurischia
- Family
- Therizinosauridae
- Genus
- Nothronychus
- Species
- N. mckinleyi
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- MSM P4166
- Type locality
- Moreno Hill Formation, New Mexico, USA