Dinosaur genus

Psittacosaurus

Osborn 1923

Psittacosaurus is a dinosaur genus known from bones, found in rocks 161.5–66 million years old, in 4 countries, most often China and Mongolia.

Also calledja プシッタコサウルス

medium

medium: Only Wikidata gives this; nothing contradicts it.

Confidence labels

VisibleOn tapHidden

How sure are we?4 high21 medium9 lowHow we rate confidence

Confidence labels are switched off. Facts with low confidence, or where sources disagree, still carry a small dot: tap it for the reason.

At a glance

Data as of 5 October 2026

161.5–66 Ma

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114366

The last non-bird dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. That's as far from us as the end of this bar.

Named by: Osborn 1923
high
high: PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Described in: H. F. Osborn (1923). Two Lower Cretaceous dinosaurs of Mongolia. American Museum Novitates 95: 1–10.
high
high: PBDB gives this publication for the name; its author and year match the naming authority (Osborn 1923), on which PBDB and Wikidata agree.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. The publication the Paleobiology Database gives as the authority for this genus name, usually the one that first named and described it.
Lived: Valanginian to Albian, 137.1–100.5 million years ago
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives a range this precise; NHM's records give only a broader interval, which contains it.
Omnisaura calculation161.5–66 million years ago, from its dated fossil records
medium
medium: Omnisaura's calculation from 66 confirmed PBDB records.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Fossils found in: China
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.
Mongolia
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (19 records).
Russia
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (7 records).
Thailand
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Union of all sources (ISO 3166).
Rock formations: 21, including Ilek, Yixian, Ejinhoro and Doushan
mixed
mixed: Levels differ between entries; each has its own.
Show all 21, each with its confidence
Doushan
high
high: NHM and PBDB both record it.
Bayangobi
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Ejinhoro
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (6 records).
Ilek
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (7 records).
Jiufotang
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (4 records).
Khok Kruat
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Khuren Dukh
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (3 records).
Lisangou
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Tsagaantsav
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Yixian
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (11 records).
Zhonggou
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (2 records).
Öösh
medium
medium: Only PBDB records it (7 records).
Andaikhudag
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Dushihin
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Dzunbain
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Döshuul
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Jingchuan
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Lianmuqin
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Luohandong
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Ulan Argalant
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Zhidan
low
low: Only one PBDB record.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database; Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Canonical names, automatic and editor-approved matches applied.
Parent group: Ceratopsia
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB leads.
Order: Ornithischia
medium
medium: Only NHM gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Natural History Museum Data Portal. How it was chosen: Gap filled from NHM.
Species named in its records: Psittacosaurus amitabha, Psittacosaurus gobiensis, Psittacosaurus guyangensis, Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis, Psittacosaurus major, Psittacosaurus mazongshanensis, Psittacosaurus meileyingensis, Psittacosaurus mongoliensis, Psittacosaurus neimongoliensis, Psittacosaurus ordosensis, Psittacosaurus osborni, Psittacosaurus sibiricus and 3 more
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (the species its fossil records are identified as).
Older or other names: Hongshanosaurus (a junior synonym); Protiguanodon (a junior synonym)
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (names it treats as this genus).
Diet: herbivore (inferred for its group)
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB, inferred from a group the genus belongs to.
Way of life: ground dwelling (inferred for its group)
medium
medium: Only PBDB gives this; nothing contradicts it.
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database. How it was chosen: PBDB, inferred from a group the genus belongs to.
Known from: Bones
Sources
Given by: Paleobiology Database (what the name was based on).

Sources: Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0), Natural History Museum Data Portal (CC0 1.0), Wikidata (CC0 1.0)Confidence levels and gaps are Omnisaura's own assessment.

Gaps are answers

What isn't known yet

Type species: no source we use gives it yet.
Family: no source we use gives it yet.
What it was named after: no source we use gives it yet.
Held back: 4 fossil records left out: identified only tentatively (for example "cf.", "?" or the name in quotation marks).
Resting on one source: 6 facts come from a single source with nothing against them (rated medium): parent group (PBDB); order (NHM); age (headline) (PBDB); common names (Wikidata); diet (PBDB); way of life (PBDB).

Size and appearance aren't covered yet, and diet and way of life only as PBDB infers them for the wider group. Omnisaura leaves the rest out rather than guess.

Where sources disagree

None open. Where our sources overlap, they agree on everything shown here.

Did it meet…?

Did Psittacosaurus meet ?

Same time, different places. Their fossils overlap in age, 83.6 to 66 million years ago, but no rock formation holds both.

Going by the ages and rock formations of their dated fossils, as on the map. Compare their fossil sites on the map.

Connections

Genera linked to Psittacosaurus by where and when their fossils were found, by classification and by who named them. Select a name to open its page.

Same rocks, same time 37

Genera found in the same rock units, from rocks of overlapping age, the most shared fossil sites first.

Microraptor Sinovenator Sinornithosaurus Sinosauropteryx Wuerhosaurus Archaeoceratops Auroraceratops Beipiaosaurus Bolong Caudipteryx Choyrodon Dilong Eubrontes Grallator Liaoceratops Shamosaurusand 21 more

Same parent group: Ceratopsia 3

Other genera in Ceratopsia with a full profile.

Ajkaceratops Albalophosaurus Ferenceratops

Named by Osborn 8

Genera whose naming authority includes the same surname. The authority has no initials, so different people who share a surname can appear together.

Albertosaurus Ornitholestes Oviraptor Pentaceratops Saurornithoides Struthiomimus Tyrannosaurus Velociraptor

Found in China 122

Other genera found in China, from rocks of overlapping age, the most fossil sites there first.

Elongatoolithus Macroolithus Brontopodus Grallator Paraspheroolithus Dendroolithus Eubrontes Ovaloolithus Prismatoolithus Caririchnium Macroelongatoolithus Microraptor Parafaveoloolithus Spheroolithus Asianopodus Nanhsiungoolithusand 106 more

Where its fossils were found

46 fossil sites, with present-day and ancient positions

Open the map at this time

Cite this page

Omnisaura (2026). Psittacosaurus. Future Sailors. https://www.omnisaura.com/genera/psittacosaurus. Data as of 5 October 2026.

What's changed

19 Oct 2026
Age (PBDB): confidence high → medium.

Every change to Omnisaura

Use this data

Download this genus as JSON With every source and licence attached. Also recorded in: Paleobiology Database · Wikipedia (English) · GBIF · Wikidata Spotted a problem? Tell us

Pictures

4 openly licensed pictures of Psittacosaurus on Wikimedia Commons and museum sites, each with its own author and licence.

Psittacosaurus Dinosaur Fossil Skeleton.jpg
Rauantiques, CC BY-SA 4.0
Psittacosaurus family.jpg
HARRY NGUYEN, CC BY 2.0
NHM-UK_P_DF118_03_24_0325
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0
NHMUK PV R 9392
The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, CC BY 4.0

Credits

Where this page comes from

Paleobiology DatabaseCC BY 4.0 · fossil records, ages, classification
Natural History Museum Data PortalCC0 1.0 · catalogued specimens
WikidataCC0 1.0 · names and identifiers
OmnisauraOmnisaura editorial · confidence levels and gaps
PaleoMAP PaleoCoastlines (Kocsis and Scotese 2021)CC BY 4.0 · ancient coastlines on the small map
Natural EarthPublic domain · today's coastlines

Pictures linked from this page are credited beside each one, with their own licences; the full list is in the JSON download.