Crichtonpelta benxiensis

† Crichtonpelta benxiensis is an ankylosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Benxi, Liaoning Province, China, named in honour of novelist and palaeontology enthusiast Michael Crichton. A heavily armoured, low-slung quadruped, it browsed on ground-level vegetation using its toothless beak and leaf-shaped cheek teeth. Its broad dorsal osteoderms and possible tail club provided defence against contemporaneous tyrannosaurids. It represents one of the few ankylosaurs known from northeastern China.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Crichtonpelta benxiensis 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 Late Mesozoic Era

Crichtonpelta benxiensis 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.