Sinornis santensis

† Sinornis santensis is an Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird from the Jiufotang Formation of China, one of the first enantiornithines described from Asia. Its perching foot morphology and reduced hand claws show advanced flight capability.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivore

Sinornis santensis 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

Sinornis santensis 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.