Despite the menacingly cool name, the Oviraptor, meaning "egg thief," was actually a fascinating feathered dinosaur with surprising habits. These Late Cretaceous creatures, roaming the dusty plains of Asia about 70 million years ago, looked like a cross between a turkey and a velociraptor, sporting a bony crest on their heads and grasping claws on their forelimbs. Initially thought to be ruthless egg plunderers, fossil discoveries turned the tables, revealing Oviraptor as attentive parents meticulously brooding their own nests of dinosaur eggs. Their toothless beaks, perfect for crushing insects and seeds, debunked the egg-stealing myth, and instead painted a picture of dedicated family dinosaurs, caring for their young with feathered wings much like modern birds. The Oviraptor, far from a villain, adds a heartwarming story to the prehistoric world, reminding us that parenthood existed even in the age of giants.
