Cratonavis zhui

† Cratonavis zhui is an ornithothoracine bird from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Liaoning, China. Notable for retaining a long scapula and robust forelimb elements resembling non-avian theropods, it represents a mosaic of ancestral and derived avian features. A small carnivore of the Jehol Biota lakeside ecosystem, it likely fed on insects and small fish. Named for palaeontologist Zhu Yanbo, its mosaic anatomy informs models of avian wing evolution.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Cratonavis zhui 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 Early Mesozoic Era

Cratonavis zhui 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.