Tyrannasaurus rex Courtesy of Goldenbooks.com

It looks like the theropod dinosaur family, which included monstrous meat-eaters like Tyrannasaurus rex and raptors, contained a plant-eating dinosaur as well! Scientists have found clear evidence that a newly discovered species of theropod dinosaur ate plants. The name of the new species of dinosaur, discovered in Chinese rocks, is Incisivosaurus (referring to its large front teeth called incisors) and it was probably the most ancient oviraptor.

The evidence that Incisivosaurus ate plants comes from its teeth. While other theropod dinosaurs had sharp dagger-like teeth for ripping through meat, Incisivosaurus had large front teeth and an overbite, like hamsters do today. Large areas of the dinosaur’s teeth have been worn down which indicates that the upper and lower teeth made contact as the animal chewed, just like teeth do for plant eating animals today. Also, Incisivosaurus’ teeth don’t have jagged serrations like those on the pointed teeth of its meat-eating relatives.

This new species of dinosaur was discovered in sediments that were laid down 129 million years ago in an area that is now northeast China. Other fossils found in the surrounding sediments indicate that the dinosaur lived in a forest environment filled with conifer trees and shrubs.

Incisivosaurus’ plant-eating way of life was unusual for a theropod dinosaur, but the same pattern does happen today as well. For instance, pandas, which eat bamboo instead of meat, are related to carnivorous mammals, which eat only meat. This happens when there is a food source that no one is eating and over thousands of years a species tooth structure changes or evolves so that it is better equipped to eat that food. This makes the species less like its relatives, but better able to survive it its environment.

Tyrannasaurus rex Courtesy of Goldenbooks.com

It looks like the dinosaur family that included monstrous meat-eaters like Tyrannasaurus rex and raptors also contained a plant-eating dinosaur! Scientists have found evidence that a newly discovered species of dinosaur ate plants even though it had meat-eating relatives. The scientists named the new species of dinosaur that was discovered in Chinese rocks Incisivosaurus, because it has large front teeth called incisors.

Scientists can tell that Incisivosaurus ate plants by looking at its teeth. While its relatives had sharp dagger-like teeth for ripping through meat, Incisivosaurus had large front teeth and an overbite, like hamsters do today. Large areas of the dinosaur’s teeth have been worn down which indicates that the upper and lower teeth made contact as the animal chewed, just like teeth do for plant-eating animals today. Also, Incisivosaurus’ teeth don’t have jagged serrations like those on the pointed teeth of its meat-eating relatives.

This new species of dinosaur was discovered in sediments that were laid down 129 million years ago in an area that is now northeast China. Other fossils found in the surrounding sediments indicate that the dinosaur lived in a forest environment filled with conifer trees and shrubs.

Tyrannasaurus rex Courtesy of Goldenbooks.com

The scary meat-eating dinosaurs like Tyrannasaurus rex and raptors had a plant-eating relative! Scientists have found a new species of dinosaur in Chinese rocks that was related to the meat-eaters but ate plants instead of meat. The scientists named the new species of dinosaur Incisivosaurus.

Scientists can tell that Incisivosaurus ate plants by looking at its teeth. Meat-eaters like T-rex had sharp pointed teeth for ripping through meat, but Incisivosaurus had large front teeth and an overbite, like hamsters do today. The dinosaur’s teeth are worn down, which happens when animals grind plants between their teeth.

This new species of dinosaur was discovered in sediments that were laid down 129 million years ago in China. Other fossils found in the area tell scientists what the environment was like a long time ago. Those fossils indicate that the Incisivosaurus lived in a forest filled with trees and shrubs.