Byronosaurus
Byronosaurus was a small, fast dinosaur with a big brain and sharp senses. It lived in what is now Mongolia about 80 million years ago, and it was about the size of a turkey.12
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Fun facts
Byronosaurus had a large brain for its size, making it one of the smartest non-bird dinosaurs.1
Its eyes faced forward, so it could judge distances well, which helped it hunt.2
Two baby Byronosaurus skulls were found inside a nest of oviraptorid eggs, probably as leftovers from a predator.1
Unlike other troodontids, Byronosaurus had smooth teeth without serrations, like its close relative Xixiasaurus.1
The first Byronosaurus fossils were discovered in 1993 by an American Museum of Natural History expedition to the Gobi Desert.1
Byronosaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous, about 80 to 71 million years ago.1
Its bones were mixed with bones of other animals when found, and scientists had to carefully sort them out.2
Most asked questions about Byronosaurus
?How big was Byronosaurus?
Byronosaurus was a small dinosaur, about 1.5 to 2 metres (5 to 6.6 feet) long and 50 cm (20 inches) tall. It weighed only about 4 to 20 kg (9 to 44 pounds), about the size of a large bird.12
?What did Byronosaurus eat?
Scientists are not sure. Some think it ate meat, others think it may have eaten plants or both. Its smooth teeth without serrations suggest it may have had a different diet from other troodontids.1
?When did Byronosaurus live?
Byronosaurus lived during the Late Cretaceous Period, about 80 to 71 million years ago. Its fossils were found in Mongolia.12
?Was Byronosaurus a dinosaur?
Yes, Byronosaurus was a small theropod dinosaur, specifically a troodontid. It was not a bird, but it was closely related to birds.1
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Myth buster
Myth: Some people think all troodontids were meat-eaters with serrated teeth.
Truth: Byronosaurus had smooth teeth without serrations, so it may have been an omnivore or herbivore, not a pure carnivore.1
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Byronosaurus
- Named by
- Norell et al. 20003
- Group
- Raptors
- Family / clade
- Troodontidae3
- Classification
- Theropoda > Troodontidae3
- Age of the rocks
- 84 to 72 million years (Campanian)3
- Rock formations
- Djadokhta3
- Countries
- Mongolia3
- Fossil records
- 3 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- Byronosaurus was named in 2000 by Mark Norell, Peter Makovicky, and James Clark. The first skeleton was found in 1993 at Ukhaa Tolgod, Mongolia, and a second skull was found in 1996 at Bolor's Hill.1
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure what Byronosaurus ate. Its smooth teeth suggest it might have been an omnivore or herbivore, but some experts think it was still a carnivore.1
Where the facts come from
- Byronosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Byronosaurus jaffei | AMNH (amnh.org)
- Byronosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
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