Dilong paradoxus

†Dilong paradoxus ('paradoxical emperor dragon') is the type species of Dilong, a feathered basal tyrannosauroid from the Early Cretaceous of China. Approximately 1.6 m long, it preserved integumentary filaments demonstrating that early tyrannosauroids had proto-feathers. Its discovery in 2004 was a landmark in understanding the evolutionary origins of feathers in large theropods.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Dilong paradoxus 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

Dilong paradoxus 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.