pronounced SIT-ah-co-SAWR-us) Psittacosaurus (meaning "parrot lizard") was a small, very primitive ceratopsian. This fast-moving plant-eater had a narrow, horny beak with no teeth, and cheek teeth towards the rear of the mouth. It had a boxy skull with short, horn-like projections on the cheeks. It had four long fingers on each hand; the arms were much shorter than the legs.
Psittacosaurus was a small plant-eater. It was about as long (from snout to tail) as an adult human is tall, but it was only about 4 feet (1.2 m) tall.
Psittacosaurus was from about 2.6 to 6.5 feet (80 cm to 2 m) long and weighed about 50-175 pounds (25-80 kg). They were roughly 4 feet (1.2 m) tall.
PSITTACOSAURUS' LIFE SPAN
The growth lines in Psittacosaurus mongoliensis bones (similar to studying tree rings to deduce a tree's age) have led paleontologists to think that it had a life span of at least 10-11 years.
WHEN PSITTACOSAURUS LIVED
Psittacosaurus lived during the early Cretaceous period, about 119-97.5 million years ago.
BEHAVIOR
Psittacosaurus may have been a herding animal, like some other ceratopsians.
INTELLIGENCE
Psittacosaurus was a ceratopsian, whose intelligence (as measured by its relative brain to body weight, or EQ) was intermediate among
Psittacosaurus was a small plant-eater. It was about as long (from snout to tail) as an adult human is tall, but it was only about 4 feet (1.2 m) tall.
Psittacosaurus was from about 2.6 to 6.5 feet (80 cm to 2 m) long and weighed about 50-175 pounds (25-80 kg). They were roughly 4 feet (1.2 m) tall.
PSITTACOSAURUS' LIFE SPAN
The growth lines in Psittacosaurus mongoliensis bones (similar to studying tree rings to deduce a tree's age) have led paleontologists to think that it had a life span of at least 10-11 years.
WHEN PSITTACOSAURUS LIVED
Psittacosaurus lived during the early Cretaceous period, about 119-97.5 million years ago.
BEHAVIOR
Psittacosaurus may have been a herding animal, like some other ceratopsians.
INTELLIGENCE
Psittacosaurus was a ceratopsian, whose intelligence (as measured by its relative brain to body weight, or EQ) was intermediate among