The name Struthiomimus translates to "mimic of the ostrich" and indeed, this dinosaur has much in common with the swift flightless bird of modern times that is it's namesake. It is estimated that this speedy dinosaur could clip along at speeds of 30-50 miles per hour! It's neck constitutes roughly 40% the length of it's body, it has a small slender head, and a toothless beak. These similarities were among the first clues that eventually led paleontologist to favor an horizontal posture for most bi-pedal dinosaur groups over the previously asserted "kagaroo-ish", tail-dragging pose that was originally suggested. As early as 1916 researchers mounted Struthiomimus to mimic the posture of modern flightless birds. It was not until much later that this basic functional morphology was adopted for groups like Tyrannosaurs and the duck-billed Hadrosaurs.
