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"Only now do we know the true story- Megarachne was a giant prehistoric sea scorpion." |
Psittacosaurus looked like a runt in the world of dinosaurs, but highly adaptive features made this one of the most successful dino species ever. The creature's parrot-like beak was perfect for stripping tough leaves from branches, and it could even use its front feet as hands to help grab its food. Though small, this dino gave rise to mammoth monsters, such as triceratops.
Bird Mouth: A plant-eater doesn't need killer jaws, so psittacosaurus had a pointy beak with which it snapped branches in half and cracked open large cones from conifer trees. The dino chewed with a few small, sharp teeth in the back of its mouth.
Stand Short: Because it was small and its front legs were much shorter than its hind legs, experts think psittacosaurus walked mostly on two legs. This dino could grab branches in its "hands" to break them or reach up and pull down higher limbs.
Pioneer of Horns[]
This dino stood on its hind legs in order to snag the last leaves left on the tallest branches.
Psittacosaurus was one of the earliest ceratopsians (horned dinosaurs), an order of reptiles that later included such huge beasts as triceratops and styracosaurus. Instead of having dangerous horns on its snout as its descendants did, psittacosaurus had a small spike jutting backward from each cheek. The puny spikes were far too small to use as weapons against large predators, so it's likely that rival males used them in fights over food and females, standing side-by-side and jabbing each other until one ran off.
All Over: Psittacosaurus bones are the most common fossils found in Asia, showing that this creature once dotted the plains in huge numbers. The dino roamed in herds that might have numbered in the thousands to protect themselves from danger.
Life is Short: Scientists generally can't tell how long a dinosaur's lifespan was, but they found growth lines in psittacosaurus' fossils (similar to the rings in tree trunks) that lead them to believe members of this species lived for only about 10 years.
Timeline[]
Psittacosaurus lived 140 to 110 million years ago, during the early Cretaceous Period.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The psittacosaurus is featured in Fossil Finders on Monster Mania 67.
- Since this card was printed, it has been discovered that Psittacosaurus had bizarre bristles on its tail.