Description | Psittacosaurus (SIT-ə-kə-SOR-əs; "parrot lizard") is a genus of extinct ceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of what is now Asia, existing between 126 and 101 million years ago. It is notable for being the most species-rich dinosaur genus. Up to 12 species are known, from across China, Mongolia, Siberia, and possibly Thailand and Laos. The species of Psittacosaurus were obligate bipeds at adulthood, with a high skull and a robust beak. One individual was found preserved with long filaments on the tail, similar to those of Tianyulong, and scales across the rest of the animal. Psittacosaurus probably had complex behaviours, based on the proportions and relative size of the brain. It may have been active for short periods of time during the day and night, and had well-developed senses of smell and vision.
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Source Data | |
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Rank | species |
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Taxonomy (GBIF) | Life : Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Dinosauria : Psittacosauridae : Psittacosaurus : Psittacosaurus meileyingensis |
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Taxonomy (PBDB) | Life : Animalia : Chordata : Ornithischia : Psittacosaurus : Psittacosaurus meileyingensis |
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Taxonomic Status (GBIF) | accepted |
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Classification (PBDB,GBIF) | |
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Generic Name | Psittacosaurus |
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Scientific Name | Psittacosaurus meileyingensis Sereno et al., 1988 |
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Opinions (PBDB) | Name | Rank | Opinion | Evidence | Author |
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Psittacosaurus meileyingensis | species | belongs to Psittacosaurus | stated without evidence | Sereno et al., 1988 | Psittacosaurus meileyingensis | species | belongs to Psittacosaurus | stated with evidence | Sereno, 1990 | Psittacosaurus meileyingensis | species | belongs to Psittacosaurus | stated without evidence | Sereno, 1990 | Psittacosaurus meileyingensis | species | belongs to Psittacosaurus | stated with evidence | Sereno, 2000 | Psittacosaurus meileyingensis | species | belongs to Psittacosaurus | stated without evidence | Leshchinskiy et al., 2000 | Psittacosaurus meileyingensis | species | belongs to Psittacosaurus | stated with evidence | Sereno, 2010 | Psittacosaurus meileyingensis | species | belongs to Psittacosaurus | stated without evidence | Sereno et al., 2010 |
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Status (PBDB) | extinct |
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Taxon Size (PBDB) | 1 |
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First Recorded Appearance | 125 - 113 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous |
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Last Recorded Appearance | 125 - 113 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous |
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Environment | terrestrial (based on Psittacosaurus) |
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Motility | actively mobile (based on Ornithischia) |
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Diet | herbivore (based on Psittacosaurus) |
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Reproduction | oviparous, dispersal=direct/internal,mobile (based on Ornithischia) |
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Ontogeny | accretion,modification of parts (based on Ornithischia) |
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Taphonomy | hydroxylapatite,compact or dense (based on Ornithischia) |
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Primary Reference (PBDB) | P. C. Sereno, S. Chao, and Z. Cheng, C. Rao. 1988. Psittacosaurus meileyingensis (Ornithischia: Ceratopsia), a new psittacosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of northeastern China. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 8(4):366-377 |
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Wikipedia | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psittacosaurus_meileyingensis |
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Sereno P. C., Chao S., et al (1988) Psittacosaurus meileyingensis (Ornithischia: Ceratopsia), a new psittacosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of northeastern China, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 8 4, 366-377 |
Dong Z. (1992) Dinosaurian Faunas of China, China Ocean Press, Beijing, 1-188 |
Dong Z.-M. (1994) Early Cretaceous dinosaur faunas in China: an introduction, Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 30 10-11, 2096-2100 |
Matsukawa M., Obata I. (1994) Dinosaurs and sedimentary environments in the Japanese Cretaceous: a contribution to dinosaur facies in Asia based on molluscan palaeontology and stratigraphy, Cretaceous Research 15 1, 101-125 doi:10.1006/cres.1994.1005 |
Leshchinskiy S. V., Faingerts A. V., et al (2000) Predvaritel'nye rezul'taty izucheniy mestonakhozhdenii Shestakovskogo kompleksa rannemelovykh pozvonochnykh [Preliminary results of the investigation of the Shestakovo localities of Early Cretaceous vertebrates], Materialy Regional'noy Konferentsii Geologov Sibiri Dal'nego Vostoka i Severo-Vostoka Rossii. Gala Press, Tomsk 2, 363-366 |
Sereno P. C. (2000) The fossil record, systematics and evolution of pachycephalosaurs and ceratopsians from Asia, The Age of Dinosaurs in Russia and Mongolia, 480-516 |
Brinkman D. B., Eberth D. A., et al (2001) The occurrence of Psittacosaurus xinjiangensis Sereno and Chow, 1988 in the Urho area, Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, People's Republic of China, Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 38, 1781-1786 |
Ruiz-Omeñaca J. I., Canudo J. I. (2003) Dinosaurios (Saurischia, Ornithischia) en el Barremiense (Cretácico Inferior) de la península Ibérica [Dinosaurs (Saurischia, Ornithischia) in the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of the Iberian peninsula], Dinosaurios y Otros Reptiles Mesozóicos de España, 269-312 |
Averianov A. O., Voronkevich A. V., et al (2006) A ceratopsian dinosaur Psittacosaurus sibiricus from the Early Cretaceous of west Siberia, Russia and its phylogenetic relationships, Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 4 4, 359-395 |
Zhou C.-F., Gao K.-Q., et al (2006) A new species of Psittacosaurus (Dinosauria: Ceratopsia) from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China, Palaeoworld 15 1, 100-114 doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2005.11.001 |
Sereno P. C., Zhao X., et al (2007) New psittacosaurid highlights skull enlargement in horned dinosaurs, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 52 2, 275-284 |
You H.-L., Tanoue K., et al (2008) New data on cranial anatomy of the ceratopsian dinosaur Psittacosaurus major, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 53 2, 183-196 |
Sereno P. C. (2010) Taxonomy, cranial morphology, and relationships of parrot-beaked dinosaurs (Ceratopsia: Psittacosaurus), New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 21-58 |
Sereno P. C., Zhao X., et al (2010) A new psittacosaur from Inner Mongolia and the parrot-like structure and function of the psittacosaur skull, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 277 1679, 199-209 doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.0691 |
P. C. Sereno, S. Chao, Z. Cheng, C. Rao (1988) Psittacosaurus meileyingensis (Ornithischia: Ceratopsia), a new psittacosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of northeastern China: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 4: 366--377 - via Catalogue of Life |
P. C. Sereno (2010) Taxonomy, cranial morphology, and relationships of parrot-beaked dinosaurs (Ceratopsia: Psittacosaurus): New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium. Indiana University Press, Bloomington: 21--58 - via Catalogue of Life |