Orienantius ritteri

† Orienantius ritteri is an Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird from Liaoning, China. Known from a well-preserved specimen, this small arboreal Mesozoic avialan inhabited the Jehol Biota forested environments ~120 million years ago.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Orienantius ritteri 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

Orienantius ritteri 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.