Shenzhouraptor sinensis

† Shenzhouraptor sinensis is an Early Cretaceous bird from the Yixian Formation of China, originally described as a close relative of Archaeopteryx but later reinterpreted. Its skeletal features reflect the complex early evolution of avian flight.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Shenzhouraptor sinensis 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

Shenzhouraptor sinensis 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.