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Fossil Atlas: Specimen ProfileCatalog FA·GALL·1963
Plate 31 · Omnivore

GallimimusFossil map and specimen profile

The Fastest Dinosaur of the Nemegt

Binomial Gallimimus bullatus · GAL-ih-MY-mus

Late Cretaceous - 70-66 Ma

Illustrated reconstruction of GallimimusIllustration
Plate 31 · illustration onlyFA·GALL·1963
Classification
Ornithomimid dinosaur
Family
Ornithomimidae
Genus / Species
Gallimimus bullatus
Diet
Omnivore
Range
Mongolia, especially Nemegt Formation records in the current atlas.
Quick provenance answer

Where have Gallimimus fossils been found?

Gallimimus fossil records in Fossil Atlas are mapped as selected modern discovery locations, with 15 source-backed records currently shown. Mongolia, especially Nemegt Formation records in the current atlas. Key mapped formations in the current dataset include Baruungoyot, Nemegt, Bissekty. These pins are fossil record locations, not a complete ancient habitat map.

Mapped records
15
Modern range note
Mongolia, especially Nemegt Formation records in the current atlas.
Key formations
Baruungoyot, Nemegt, Bissekty
Map caveat
Modern fossil locations, not ancient habitat.
Field account

Gallimimus was a large ornithomimid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Nemegt Formation of Mongolia. Fossil Atlas maps selected discovery records and links it to the broader Gobi fossil story.

Built to scale

Size against a person

Drawn true to scale on a metre ruler.

0 m2468101214161820222426
Gallimimus, 6 m (20 ft)Adult human, 1.8 m3× longer than a person is tall
Field measurements

Measurements & capabilities

MeasuredEstimate

Length

measured

6 m · 20 ft

Largest known specimens

Height

measured

2 m (6.5 ft)

Body mass

estimate

440 kg · 970 lb

Typical adult

Top speed

estimate

56 km/h · 35 mph

Modelled, debated

Life & behaviour

How Gallimimus lived

Gallimimus was one of the largest ornithomimids, a group of long-legged, toothless theropods convergently similar in some respects to ostriches. It was probably one of the fastest dinosaurs, with long hindlimbs relative to body size. Its feeding is less clear: the toothless beak and the shape of its hands suggest it was an opportunistic omnivore, possibly including small animals, eggs, invertebrates, and plant material in its diet.

Speed

Long femur, tibia, and metatarsals proportioned for running. Speed estimates vary, but the overall build is consistent with fast sustained movement at the high end of estimates for any dinosaur.

The beak

Completely toothless, with a wide, flat beak. In some related ornithomimids, comb-like structures suggest filter feeding in water, though this is not confirmed for Gallimimus.

Hands

Long, three-fingered hands with relatively straight claws, adapted for raking or grasping rather than cutting.

Social behavior

Multiple individuals are known from the Nemegt Formation. The ornithomimid lifestyle has been compared with modern ratites, which often live in loose social groups.

Known from

Fossil evidence

01Skulls
02Limb bones
03Partial skeletons
04Ornithomimid fossils
Key formations
BaruungoyotNemegtBissekty
Geologic timeline

When they lived

Position of this animal’s known range across 252 million years of the Mesozoic and beyond.

252 MaToday

70-66 million years ago

From the notebook

Field notes

01

Gallimimus is one of the most recognizable ostrich-like dinosaurs.

02

Its Nemegt records give Mongolia pages a non-predator, non-armored dinosaur anchor.

03

Its name means chicken mimic.

Discovery & debate

How we know Gallimimus

Polish-Mongolian expeditions recovered Gallimimus specimens from the Nemegt Basin starting in 1963. Rinchen Barsbold named the genus in 1972 from material including a nearly complete skeleton. It became internationally recognisable after appearing in the 1993 Jurassic Park film in a stampeding herd sequence. The real animal was from Mongolia, not a fictional Pacific island, and it lived roughly 70 million years before the events depicted.

Shared the landscape

Lived alongside

Animals known from the same deposits and time as Gallimimus.

Same family

Close relatives

Other members of Ornithomimidae.

  • Struthiomimus

    A North American ornithomimid of similar build, from the Late Cretaceous of Canada.

    Not yet mapped
  • Ornithomimus

    Another Canadian ornithomimid, slightly smaller and from the same time period as Struthiomimus.

    Not yet mapped
  • Deinocheirus

    A giant ornithomimosaur from the Nemegt Formation with enormous arms and a very different body plan from typical ornithomimids, showing the range within the group.

    Not yet mapped
Modern discovery map

Gallimimus fossil discovery map

Pins show selected fossil records for Gallimimus; use them as modern discovery evidence, not a complete range map. Modern fossil discovery map: pins show where selected fossil and specimen records were found today, not ancient Earth positions. What does this mean?

Modern Fossil Discovery Map

Specimen evidence

Museum media and models

No open specimen media or embeddable model assets are available in the local enrichment data yet.

Research notes

Gallimimus fossil map FAQ

Where have Gallimimus fossils been found?

Gallimimus is represented here by selected fossil records from mongolia, especially nemegt formation records in the current atlas. Fossil Atlas maps those records as modern discovery locations.

Is this map where Gallimimus lived?

No. The map shows modern fossil discovery locations from selected records. Ancient habitat and paleogeographic reconstructions are separate questions.

What formation is Gallimimus associated with here?

The current Fossil Atlas records include Baruungoyot. Formation coverage depends on the selected dataset and may not be complete.

Can I make a Gallimimus expedition card?

Yes. Use the expedition card generator to turn the Gallimimus map and specimen profile into a shareable card.

Data sources

Attribution

Caveats

Important notes

Selected fossil records from PBDB and museum biodiversity aggregators. This is not a complete fossil count by country; source labels and confidence notes help distinguish canonical paleobiology records from specimen-media records.

Reconstruction images are labeled illustrations and do not represent fossil evidence. Size, speed, and bite-force figures are typical published estimates and remain subject to revision as new specimens are described.

Trust note

Selected source-backed records

Maps use curated PBDB, museum, and specimen-source records with visible caveats.

Trust note

Modern discovery locations

Pins show where fossils were found or reported today, not exact ancient habitat positions.

Trust note

Reconstruction is not evidence

Artwork is labeled separately from specimen photos, maps, and source records.

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