Dunhuangia cuii

†Dunhuangia cuii is an extinct enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous of Gansu Province, China, near the historic Silk Road city of Dunhuang. This small toothed bird adds to the growing record of enantiornithines from inland western China. Its discovery highlights that the Jehol-type early avian radiation extended far beyond Liaoning Province into semi-arid interior Asia.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Dunhuangia cuii 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

Dunhuangia cuii 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.