3 euros AUSTRIA 2022 - Ornithomimus velox

3 euros AUSTRIA 2022 - Ornithomimus velox

Our fascinating journey into the world of extreme dinosaurs comes to an end in the form of Ornithomimus velox, the twelfth and final coin in the Supersaurs series. However, Ornithomimus velox is definitely a last but not least case, given that it was the fastest dinosaur to ever roam the earth.

Standing on long hind legs ending in three powerful claws, and with a long, flexible neck and large eyes on a small head, Ornithomimus velox looked somewhat like the ostrich, albeit with a long tail and arms instead of wings. The dinosaur even had a toothless jaw that tapered into a beak. Weighing around 150 kilograms and measuring 4 meters from the beak to the tip of its long tail, Ornithomimus had lower legs that were significantly longer than the thighs and elongated metatarsal bones, both typical features of a fast runner. Computer models have calculated that Ornithomimus had a top speed of 60 to 80 kilometers per hour, but its powerful rear claws suggest it was capable of defending itself and not just using its speed to evade an attack.

Although the remains found to date cannot exactly corroborate the diet of Ornithomimus, the presence of small gastroliths - stones that birds and other animals swallow to grind food - in the epigastric region of some skeletons implies that it was a herbivore. That said, Ornithomimus could also have preyed on small reptiles and insects, another similarity to the ostrich, which despite having a predominantly plant diet and employing gastroliths, also eats caterpillars and grasshoppers.

Ornithomimus velox features all 12 extreme prehistoric animals from the Supersaurs series in silhouette on its obverse, while a color printed Ornithomimus is shown moving through a grassy landscape on the glow-in-the-dark reverse of the coin. Supersaurs 3 euro coins are legal tender in Austria.