Xiaosaurus dashanpensis

† Xiaosaurus dashanpensis is a Middle Jurassic ornithischian from the Shaximiao Formation of Sichuan Province, China, a small facultative biped. Originally interpreted as a heterodontosaurid, it may represent an early ornithopod in the diverse Jurassic fauna of Sichuan.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Xiaosaurus dashanpensis 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

Jurassic Middle Mesozoic Era

Xiaosaurus dashanpensis lived during the Jurassic Middle period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 174,7 to 161,5 million years ago.

Dinosaur diversity continued to increase, with the evolution of large sauropods and diverse theropods. Stegosaurs first appeared, and the supercontinent Pangaea was breaking apart.