Beipiaosaurus

† Beipiaosaurus was an Early Cretaceous therizinosaur therizinosauroid from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, China. This large herbivorous theropod measured about 2 m long and bore long simple filamentous feathers alongside the typical broad single-shaft display feathers, providing the first evidence for pennaraptoranlike display feathers in a non-pennaraptoran theropod.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Beipiaosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur. Herbivores typically fed on ferns, cycads, conifers, and other vegetation available during their era. Many herbivorous dinosaurs developed specialized teeth and digestive systems for processing tough plant material.

Time Period

Cretaceous Early Mesozoic Era

Beipiaosaurus lived during the Cretaceous Early period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 145.0 to 100.5 million years ago.

The Cretaceous saw continued dinosaur evolution with the rise of ornithopods and early ceratopsians. Flowering plants first appeared and began to transform terrestrial ecosystems. Spinosaurus and other large theropods lived during this time.