Hadrosauriformes

† Hadrosauriformes — the clade of dinosaurs including hadrosaurs and their closest relatives. Large herbivores from the Cretaceous. Characterized by expanded dental batteries and broad beaks. Originated in East Asia; later dispersed to North America and Europe. Represent the pinnacle of ornithopod.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Hadrosauriformes 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

Hadrosauriformes 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.