Scientists discover fruit eating dinosaur from the Cretaceous period

Researchers identified a new species of feathered dinosaur that specialized in eating fruit during the Cretaceous period.

The team analyzed a well preserved skull found in the Hel Krik formation, a geological site spanning Montana, North and South Dakota, and Wyoming in the United States. This small, two legged creature lived approximately 66 million years ago in a subtropical ecosystem. The animal, which the researchers nicknamed Infernogallus jamesi, weighed about 12 kilograms and measured 1.5 meters in length.

It belonged to a group of toothless, beaked dinosaurs known as kenagnatids. Unlike its meat eating ancestors, this species developed a unique jaw structure. Analysis showed a specific muscle arrangement and a curved palate that allowed the lower jaw to slide forward and backward, while its beak featured ridges and grooves for crushing soft food like berries and fruits. Tomas Dadžon of the Royal Ontario Museum stated that the discovery shows dinosaur diets were likely more diverse than previously thought.

The evolution of flowering plants provided new food sources that influenced the animals living alongside them. While many herbivores used stones in their stomachs to grind food, this species developed the ability to chew. Scientists believe these early fruit eaters may have helped disperse seeds of large fruits over long distances. The skull is now kept in a Canadian museum as a rare find.

David Evans, the chief curator of natural history at the institution, noted that the discovery reveals how adopting a beak instead of teeth expanded the range of available food for these animals.