Gansus zheni

† Gansus zheni — an Early Cretaceous ornithuromorph bird from Gansu Province, China. Small aquatic carnivore-piscivore related to G. yumenensis. Lobed feet and wing proportions suggest diving habits similar to modern grebes. The diverse Xiagou Formation avifauna illuminates the early diversificati.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Gansus zheni 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

Gansus zheni 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.