Zhongornis haoae

† Zhongornis haoae is an Early Cretaceous transitional bird from the Yixian Formation of China, occupying a key node between long-tailed non-ornithothoracine birds and short-tailed ornithothoracines. Its tail length is intermediate between Archaeopteryx and modern birds.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Zhongornis haoae 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

Zhongornis haoae 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.