The type species is the first well-preserved example of a North American oviraptorosaur. According to a paleontologist at the Smithsonian "for almost a hundred years, the presence of oviraptorosaurs in North America was only known from a few bits of skeleton, and the details of their appearance and biology remained a mystery. With the discovery of "A. wyliei", we finally have the fossil evidence to show what this species looked like and how it is related to other dinosaurs". The creature's formidable appearance – "big crests on their skulls, a beak, no teeth, and a very bird-like skeleton" – led to it being jokingly called the "chicken from hell" in press releases.