Iguanodon bernissartensis

† Iguanodon bernissartensis — an Early Cretaceous iguanodontid ornithopod from Belgium. Large herbivore (~10 m long, ~4,500 kg) with distinctive thumb spikes for defense. 38 skeletons discovered in a Bernissart coal mine in 1878 revolutionized dinosaur paleontology. Wessel Formation; Barremian age.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Iguanodon bernissartensis 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

Iguanodon bernissartensis 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.