“It’s a fantastic find,” paleontologist Steve Brusatte said of a turkey-sized dinosaur from roughly 67 million years ago that researchers have identified as the first known fruit-specialist theropod. Weighing approximately 12 kilograms, the toothless dinosaur walked the subtropical coastal lowlands alongside apex predators and herbivores like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Ankylosaurus.
Fossil Skull Reveals Parrot-Like Anatomy
Excavated from a fossil site that spans parts of the western United States and Canada, the nearly complete skeleton of Infernogallus jamesi dates back to roughly 67 million years ago. Analyzing the creature’s skull and jaw mechanics revealed that it lacked a powerful bite, possessing instead specialized skeletal structures suited for crushing soft plant matter. The jaw’s muscle arrangement permitted forward-and-backward movement, a movable joint allowed the lower jaw to shift, and a series of ridges and grooves on the beak helped grind food. “When we look at today’s birds, all these specialized features together we find only in one group: in parrots that feed exclusively on fruit,” paleontologist Tom Dudgeon from the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto explained. No living animal combines all three adaptations simultaneously, according to Stony Brook University paleontologist Greg Funston, who served as lead author of the study published in Nature.
Dinosaurs Consumed Fleshy Fruits
The discovery pushes back boundaries on what scientists understand about dinosaur dietary habits, showing that theropods adapted to eat more than just meat or generic vegetation. Infernogallus jamesi likely consumed fleshy berries and pulpy fruits produced by angiosperms, which are flowering plants whose seeds are enclosed within fruit. While angiosperms began emerging 130 to 140 million years ago and eventually overtook landscapes previously dominated by conifers and ginkgos, direct evidence that non-avian dinosaurs specialized in consuming their fruit had remained missing until now. “The discovery of infernogallus shows that the diet of dinosaurs was likely much more diverse than we previously thought,” Dudgeon noted.
Need for Further Evidence on Seed Dispersal
Researchers are still examining whether Infernogallus jamesi actively contributed to seed dispersal across the prehistoric landscape by eating large, pulpy fruits containing hard seeds or pits, similar to modern peaches or cherries. While the timing of the dinosaur lineage’s evolution roughly matches the period when fleshy fruits began growing significantly larger, experts emphasize that further fossil evidence is necessary to confirm that hypothesis. Some specialists also caution that the observed jaw features might not prove an exclusive fruit diet, as the anatomical traits could theoretically have processed other soft plant parts such as buds and shoots. Reporting by Science highlighted that the creature’s distinct adaptations mirror the specialized diets of modern fruit-eating avians, shedding new light on Late Cretaceous ecosystems.
Questions Regarding the Hell Creek Fruit-Eater
What did Infernogallus jamesi eat?
Researchers concluded that the 12-kilogram dinosaur specialized in soft plant material, specifically consuming berries and pulpy fruits produced by flowering angiosperm plants in its subtropical environment.
Where were the fossils discovered?
The fossilized remains of the toothless caenagnathid were recovered from the Hell Creek Formation, a geologic region extending across parts of Montana, North Dakota, and western states in the US, alongside Canada.
What modern animal shares its jaw adaptations?
Paleontologists noted that the unique combination of jaw muscles, mobile joints, and ridged beaks found in the dinosaur’s skull is matched today only in parrots that feed exclusively on fruit.