The Chirostenotes dinosaur was named after the Greek term "narrow handed". All fossils were found in Horseshoe Canyon Formation which is located in Alberta, Canada.

The Chirostenotes has gone through many names. In 1924 there was two indentical fossil hands found which got its correct name Chirostenotes. In 1932 fossil feet were discovered and then the name got switched to Macrophalangia (means large toes). Later it became unidentified as some carnivore dinosaur. In 1936 fossil jaws were found and scientists named the dinosaur Caenagnathus even though it was rumored to possibly be an extinct birds' jaws. It was not until 1988 unidentified fossils were being studied were discovered to be a Chirostenotes. The other jaw, feet, and hands were found to be one dinosaur species and it was official that Chirostenotes is what they all actually belonged to.

The dinosaur was about 9.5 feet long and 3 feet tall. Its body features are having a beak, long arms ending in powerful claws, long, slender toes and a tall, rounded cassowary-like crest or casque on the top of its head. This dinosaur probably had feathers as well.