Beishanlong grandis

† Beishanlong grandis was an Early Cretaceous ornithomimosaur from the Xinminpu Group of Gansu Province, China. One of the largest ornithomimosaurs known, with an estimated mass of over 600 kg, this herbivore or omnivore possessed the typical toothless beak and long neck of the ornithomimosaur group. Its large size challenges models of miniaturization in the avian lineage.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Beishanlong grandis 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 Early Mesozoic Era

Beishanlong grandis 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.