Caririchnium lotus

† Caririchnium lotus is an ornithopod dinosaur ichnogenus from the Early Cretaceous of China, named for the lotus-like shape of the individual digit impressions in the broad, tridactyl tracks. The trackways record large iguanodontian herbivores traversing lacustrine and fluvial margins. China's Cretaceous ichnological record is exceptionally rich, and C. lotus contributes to understanding the diversity of large herbivore trace-makers and environmental conditions during the Early Cretaceous of East Asia.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Caririchnium lotus was a plant-eating dinosaur. Herbivores typically fed on ferns, cycads, conifers, and other vegetation available during their era. Many herbivorous dinosaurs developed specialized teeth and digestive systems for processing tough plant material.

Time Period

Cretaceous Early Mesozoic Era

Caririchnium lotus 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.