Apsaravis ukhaana

†Apsaravis ukhaana was an ornithurine bird of the Late Cretaceous, discovered in the Djadokhta Formation of Mongolia. A small carnivorous bird roughly the size of a modern pigeon, it possessed features intermediate between basal birds and modern avians. Described in 2001, it was crucial in resolving the debate over bird flight origins, supporting the tree-down hypothesis of avian evolution.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Apsaravis ukhaana was a meat-eating predator. Carnivorous dinosaurs were active hunters or scavengers, equipped with sharp teeth and claws for catching and consuming prey. They occupied the top of the food chain in their ecosystems.

Time Period

Cretaceous Late Mesozoic Era

Apsaravis ukhaana lived during the Cretaceous Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 100.5 to 66.0 million years ago.

The final age of dinosaurs, featuring iconic species like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Velociraptor. Dinosaurs reached their peak diversity before the catastrophic asteroid impact at the Chicxulub crater ended the Mesozoic Era.