GALLIMIMUS

Gallimimus bullatus

Etymology: Bulla chicken mimic

Nickname: "Gally" or "Speeder"

Classification: Neocoelurosauria, Ornithomimidae

Diet: Omnivore

Size: 6 meters long

Provenance: Nemegt Formation, Mongolia - Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian stage, 66 million years ago

Movie appearances: Jurassic Park (1993); The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997); Jurassic World (2015); Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018); Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)

Gallimimus bullatus is an extinct species of ornithomimid neocoelurosaur theropod from the late Cretaceous period of what is now Mongolia. Although it is a theropod, a group typically known for its various toothed carnivorous forms, this and their relatives are toothless plant eaters. It has a very small head on top of a long neck, making it resemble an ostrich.

When Gallimimus was accurately recreated, scientists were surprised by the presence of feathers in this dinosaur, indicating a much stronger relationship with birds than previously recognized. Despite being often fleeing animals, they can show episodes of aggressiveness, extending their arms and vocalising to chase off a threat. That way these massive ornithomimid can assert their presence against a predator or intruder, if running is not an option. When running is an option, its long legs can serve it well to attain speeds nearly impossible for other dinosaurs to surpass on foot.

Gallimimus was resurrected in the early 1980s, and a herd of females was introduced to Isla Nublar, where they were subsequently set free after the Clarissa hurricane, in 1993. In the following year, the large herd of Gallimimus was dramatically reduced to just nine individuals, after successive hunting attacks made by the resident Tyrannosaurus rex.

In Isla Sorna, they were also set free, in 1993, where both male and female representatives were present, and they quickly learned how to survive in the wild. The lysine contingency was countered as these dinosaurs began to selectively feed on lysine-rich plant life. They resided in the southeast side of Isla Sorna, where they coexisted with Mamenchisaurus, Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis and Parasaurolophus. In 1997, InGen hunters managed to capture two individual Gallimimus for the planned Jurassic Park San Diego, however, they were subsequently set free again.

Afterwards, Isla Nublar was reclaimed for the construction of Jurassic World, where Gallimimus were held, until their escape in the park's collapse, in 2015; they lived in the wild in the island until 2018, when the eruption of Mount Sibo nearly killed the species, if not for a few captured individuals that were sent to Lockwood Manor, from which they escaped again into the mainland US.

In 2021, at least three adults and one juvenile individuals of this species were captured by Kayla Watts to be introduced to Biosyn's Sanctuary, in Italy. Over the following year, more Gallimimus were captured and introduced to that sanctuary.

FILM vs. REALITY

The film Gallimimus is rather different than the real life one. While ornithomimids are infamous for being toothless, the film's counterpart is often reconstructed with tiny teeth running across its mouthline. The real life one was toothless, perhaps even with the presence of a beak. Based on well preserved relatives of Gallimimus, we know for sure that these dinosaurs would be covered in feathers, instead of being completely naked.

Much of the behaviour of Gallimimus in the film is, however, depicted accurately. Despite being theropods, they would have been mostly plant eaters, probably only occasionally feeding on small animals. They might have been social animals, but that's not too verifiable. However, given Gallimimus was very large, reaching about 6 meters in length, its perfectly reasonable to imagine that these animals would not be completely skittish, with their large size being enough to scare off most predators. Only the largest predators, like huge tyrannosaurs, would be impossible to defeat in fight, and so they relied on their advanced speed to outrun them.