Longest claws

The therizinosaurids (`scythe lizards') from the Late Cretaceous period, found in the Nemegt Basin, Mongolia had the largest claws of any known animal. In the case of Therizinosaurus cheloniformis they measured up to 91cm 36in along the outer curve (cf. 20.3cm 8in for Tyrannosaurus rex). It has been suggested that these talons were designed for grasping and tearing apart large victims, but this creature had a feeble skull partially or entirely lacking teeth and probably lived on termites. In January 1983 a claw-bone measuring 30cm 11.8in in length was found by amateur fossil collector William Walker near Dorking, Surrey, England. The claw was later identified as possibly belonging to a spinosaur measuring more than 9m 29ft 6in overall (estimated weight 2tonnes), with a bipedal height of 3-4m 9-13ft. It was also distinguished from other theropods by having 128 teeth instead of the usual 64. This enigma, said to be the most important dinosaur fossil found in Europe this century, was subsequently named Baryonyx walkeri (`heavy claw').