Beipiaosaurus

Filed under Cretaceous dinosaurs · Types of Dinosaurs editorial team

Order: Saurischia · Suborder: Theropoda · Infraorder: Therizinosauria · Family: Therizinosauridae (family not firmly confirmed)

Beipiaosaurus, whose name translates as "Beipiao lizard," was an early therizinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period in what is now China. Reaching approximately seven feet, or 2.2 meters, in length, it belonged to the family Therizinosauridae and stands as one of the more scientifically significant dinosaurs discovered in recent decades. Its fossils are especially notable for preserving evidence of feathers, including unusually long, broad filaments that paleontologists suggest may have functioned as display structures rather than insulation.

Although Beipiaosaurus belonged to the theropod lineage — a group composed predominantly of carnivores — it had made a striking evolutionary shift toward a herbivorous diet. Leaf-shaped teeth and large claws on its hands are consistent with plant-eating habits, illustrating how dramatically some theropod lineages diverged from their meat-eating relatives.

The feathered remains of Beipiaosaurus contributed meaningfully to the growing body of evidence that feathers were far more widespread among theropod dinosaurs than previously understood. As a result, the species occupies an important place in paleontology, offering insight into both the origins and diversification of feathers and the curious evolutionary path taken by the plant-eating therizinosaurs.

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Reference background: Natural History Museum, London — Dinosaurs; Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs; American Museum of Natural History — Dinosaurs & Fossils. Figures are typical published ranges; taxonomy follows the source era and modern consensus is noted where it differs. See our sources & fact-check policy.

Related dinosaurs

Other dinosaurs from the Therizinosauridae family.