Psittacosaurus

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phylum Chordata Psittacosaurus (from the Greek for "parrot lizard") is a genus of psittacosaurid ceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of what is now Asia, between 123 to 100 million years ago. All species of Psittacosaurus were gazelle-sized bipedal herbivores characterized by a high, powerful beak on the upper jaw. At least one species had long, quill-like structures on its tail and lower back, possibly serving a display function. Psittacosaurs were extremely early ceratopsians. Although they developed many novel adaptations, they shared many anatomical features with later ceratopsians such as Protoceratops and Triceratops.

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clade Sauropsida
clade Diapsida
order Ornithischia
family Psittacosauridae
genus Psittacosaurus
species P. mongoliensis
Temporal range Early Cretaceous