Citipati, the "Funeral Pyre Lord,"
is often mistaken for its popular
relative, Oviraptor. However,
Oviraptor is actually known from
comparatively poorer remains than
the well-preserved Citipati. At 3
meters long, Citipati was a large
oviraptorid with an iconic crest.
Despite the popularity of the old
hypothesis that oviraptorids were
literal "egg thieves," we now know
that these dinosaurs were attentive
parents to their nests. Several
spectacular fossils of Citipati,
fossilized while brooding over its
eggs with its arms fanned out over
them, were integral to dispelling
this myth. Their nests were circle-
shaped with gaps in the middle,
where the parent could sit with its
wings spread over its progenies.

Strutting through the Cretaceous
Period of what is now Mongolia, this
bird-like beast lived in an arid
desert habitat alongside famous
dinosaurs like Protoceratops,
Shuvuuia, and Pinacosaurus. One
could expect a larger theropod like
Citipati to be a carnivore, preying
on the smaller dinosaurs around it.
However, its toothless beak would
have made it a poor predator. It was
likely an omnivore, snacking on small
animals, plants, and ironically, even
eggs. One possible prey item was
juvenile Byronosaurus, which have
been found fossilized in Citipati
nests. If not there as a meal, these
juveniles could also have been nest
parasites!