Recent findings by Canadian paleontologists reveal a remarkable discovery: a dinosaur caudal vertebra dating back 75 to 80 million years, discovered within ancient sea rock on a small island off British Columbia’s coast. This discovery provides significant evidence that bird-like ornithomimosaurs inhabited North America’s prehistoric Pacific coastline.

The Ornithomimosaurus is a fascinating group of swift, bird-like theropod dinosaurs that thrived during the Cretaceous period. These dinosaurs are characterized by their long legs, elongated necks, streamlined bodies, toothless beaks, and relatively small heads, bearing a striking resemblance to modern ostriches.

Certain species, such as Gallimimus and Ornithomimus, can reach lengths exceeding 4 meters (13 feet). Interestingly, despite being part of the theropod family, ornithomimosaurs are believed to have been either omnivorous or opportunistic feeders, consuming plants, small animals, and potentially eggs.

Known for their impressive speed, some estimates suggest they could achieve top speeds of approximately 50-60 km/h (31-37 mph), making them some of the fastest dinosaurs of their era.

In a recent publication, Dr. David Evans, a paleontologist from the University of Toronto and the Royal Ontario Museum, and his team detailed their findings on fossilized vertebrae extracted from an ornithomimosaur’s tail. This fossil dates back to the Campanian period of the Late Cretaceous, between 80 and 75 million years ago.

The specimen was uncovered in August 1999 from the marine sediments of the Cedar District Formation on Denman Island, which is part of the Nanaimo Group in western Canada. According to the research team, “This fossil marks the second instance of dinosaur skeletal material discovered in the Nanaimo Group and is the first from an outcrop within Canada.”

The paleontologists propose that the ornithomimosaur bones may have been washed into the ocean from the western margin of ancient North America, potentially transported by ocean currents, shoreline movements, or even scavengers. Another hypothesis suggests that the bones could have originated from a floating carcass that drifted offshore before eventual separation.

The research team also noted, “Given the current interpretations regarding the paleolatitude of the Nanaimo Basin, this specimen likely corresponds with locations at a similar latitude to the outcrops of the Two Medicine River and Judith River formations to the east, which are recognized as part of the northern faunal region of Campanian-Laramidian dinosaurs along the Western Interior Seaway.”

“To date, no ornithomimosaur fossils identifiable at lower taxonomic levels have been described from the Judith River and Two Medicine Formations. However, a rich assemblage of ornithomimosaur fauna, with several genera and species represented by complete skeletons, has been documented from the Dinosaur Park Formation in Alberta.”

“Questions concerning whether Pacific coast dinosaurs exhibited a latitudinal diversity gradient, and the role of intervening mountain ranges in influencing dinosaur biogeography through promoting allopatric diversification during the Campanian, can only be addressed through further fossil discoveries.”

The team’s research paper was published in the journal Facet on April 17th.

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Victoria M. Arbor et al. 2026. An ornithomimosaur excavated from the Campania Cedar District Formation (Nanaimo Group) on Denman Island, British Columbia, Canada. Facet 11; doi: 10.1139/facets-2023-0079