P. meileyingensis cast, Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Clade:
Dinosauria
Clade:
†Ornithischia
Clade:
†Marginocephalia
Clade:
†Ceratopsia
Family:
†Psittacosauridae Osborn, 1923
Genus:
†Psittacosaurus Osborn, 1923
Type species
†Psittacosaurus mongoliensis
Osborn, 1923
Other species
List of other species
†P. sinensis Young, 1958
†P. meileyingensis Sereno et al., 1988
†P. xinjiangensis Sereno & Zhao, 1988
†?P. sattayaraki Buffetaut & Suteethorn, 1992
†P. neimongoliensis Russell & Zhao, 1996
†P. ordosensis Russell & Zhao, 1996
†P. mazongshanensis Xu, 1997
†P. sibiricus Leshchinskiy et al., 2000
†P. lujiatunensis Zhou et al., 2006
†P. gobiensis Sereno, Zhao & Tan, 2010
†P. amitabha Napoli et al., 2019
Synonyms
Protiguanodon Osborn, 1923
Hongshanosaurus You, Xu, & Wang, 2003
Psittacosaurus (/ˌsɪtəkəˈsɔːrəs/SIT-ə-kə-SOR-əs; "parrot lizard")[1] 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 non-avian dinosaur genus. Up to 12 species are known, from across China, Mongolia, Russia, and Thailand. 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. 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.
Psittacosaurus was one of the earliest ceratopsians, but closer to Triceratops than Yinlong. Once in its own family, Psittacosauridae, with other genera like Hongshanosaurus, it is now considered to be senior synonym of the latter and an early offshoot of the branch that led to more derived forms. The genera closely related to Psittacosaurus are all from Asia, with the exception of Aquilops, from North America. The first species was either P. lujiatunensis or closely related, and it may have given rise to later forms of Psittacosaurus.
Psittacosaurus is one of the most completely known dinosaur genera. Fossils of hundreds of individuals have been collected so far, including many complete skeletons. Most age classes are represented, from hatchling through to adult, which has allowed several detailed studies of Psittacosaurus growth rates and reproductive biology. The abundance of this dinosaur in the fossil record has led to the labelling of Lower Cretaceous sediments of east Asia the Psittacosaurus biochron.
^Colbert, Edwin H. (Edwin Harris); Knight, Charles Robert (1951). The dinosaur book: the ruling reptiles and their relatives. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 153.
that Protiguanodon mongoliense, Psittacosaurus osborni, and Psittacosaurus tingi were junior synonyms of Psittacosaurus mongoliensis. In 1958, Yang published...
other ceratopsians. Early members of the ceratopsian group, such as Psittacosaurus, were small bipedal animals. Later members, including ceratopsids like...
examination of melanosomes preserved in the integument of a specimen of Psittacosaurus sp. indicated that the animal was countershaded, with stripes and spots...
predation attempt by R. robustus directed at a specimen of the dinosaur Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis. R. giganticus is among the largest mammals known from...
History Photograph # 311488 demonstrates an articulated skeleton of a Psittacosaurus mongoliensis, from the Ondai Sair Formation, Lower Cretaceous Period...
was one of the first ceratopsians, or horned dinosaurs, along with Psittacosaurus in Mongolia. The type species, Microceratops gobiensis, was first described...
and Barosaurus). As of 2022[update], a key holding is a fossilized Psittacosaurus (specimen SMF R 4970) from Liaoning, China, with clear bristles around...
reconstructions of dinosaur colouration, such as for Sinosauropteryx and Psittacosaurus by Jakob Vinther and colleagues, and similar techniques have also been...
debate over whether these filaments found in specimens of Tianyulong, Psittacosaurus, and Kulindadromeus may have been primitive feathers. Ornithischia is...
on the discovery of gizzard stones recovered near fossils include: Psittacosaurus Massospondylus Sellosaurus Omeisaurus Apatosaurus Barosaurus Dicraeosaurus...
quills have been reported in specimens of the ornithischian dinosaurs Psittacosaurus and Tianyulong although there has been disagreement. In 2009, Xu et...
the fossilized remains of beaked dinosaurs such as Protoceratops and Psittacosaurus observed on the way to gold deposits by nomadic prospectors of ancient...
grind plant material, are also found in other ceratopsians such as Psittacosaurus, and are also widely distributed in most other dinosaur groups, including...
regalis. Description of the morphology of the skull and endocranium of Psittacosaurus sibiricus, based on the study of both juvenile and adult specimens,...
bones are shared with Psittacosaurus, indicating that neoceratopsians evolved premaxillary teeth twice and that Psittacosaurus is not as primitive as...
Yixian, meaning it would have been contemporaneous of such dinosaurs as Psittacosaurus, Dongbeititan, Sinosauropteryx, and Caudipteryx. Fish such as Lycoptera...
Gerald (August 12, 2022). "The exquisitely preserved integument of Psittacosaurus and the scaly skin of ceratopsian dinosaurs". Communications Biology...
Övörkhangai Province of Mongolia. The formation preserves fossils of Psittacosaurus mongoliensis and fossil eggs described as Trachoolithus faticanus. The...
species recognition. One of the basalmost members of this group is Psittacosaurus, which is one of the most species-rich dinosaur genera from Asia. Ceratopsians...
appear to have been camouflaged, as a 120 million year old fossil of a Psittacosaurus has been preserved with countershading. Camouflage does not have a single...
used for a genus of marine reptile Hongshanosaurus – junior synonym of Psittacosaurus Hoplitosaurus Hoplosaurus – junior synonym of Struthiosaurus Horshamosaurus...
lineage was suggested to have started from the primitive ceratopsian Psittacosaurus. He also regarded Protoceratops as one of the first "frilled" ceratopsians...
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