Yanornis guozhangi

† Yanornis guozhangi is an Early Cretaceous ornithuromorph bird from the Jiufotang Formation of China. This advanced Cretaceous bird possessed a modern-style pygostyle, fan tail, and unambiguously belonged to the lineage leading to living birds.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Yanornis guozhangi 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

Yanornis guozhangi 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.