In the beginning of cretaceous (140 million years ago to 97 million years ago), inland areas on earth turned very droughty which was severe for the survival of dinosaurs, but the place of today's Shandong Province in China's eastern area became the paradise for dinosaurs, where a great deal of grazing dinosaur fossils have now been excavated.
Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus Young
In 1951, the first set of dinosaur fossil found after the establishment of PRC was excavated in Jingangkou village in the vicinity of Qingdao City, which is named "Qingdao Spine-Nosed Dinosaur" (Tsintaosaurus spinorhinus Young)". It is a member of hadrosaur with crest living in the late stage of Cretaceous period. There was a strip of edgy rod-shaped spine on the rear end of its nasal bone. It was 6.6 meters in body length and 4.9 meters in height, and weighed up to 7 tons. It was not good at running, and spent most of the time bathing in Morasses and lakes, leading a gregarious life.
Shantungosaurus giganteus
In 1964, 5 pieces of hadrosaur skeletons were excavated in Zhucheng City of Shangdong Province, one of which was named "Shangdong Giant Dinosaur" (Shantungosaurus giganteus), which is known as the highest hadrosaur at present in the world. After being put back into a complete set of skeleton, the Shangdong Giant Dinosaur is 15 meters in body length, 8 meters in standing height and 80 tons in weight. It has long and flat head without crest. Its long dental bone has 60 dental sulcuses arranged in several upper and lower rows, in which there are hundreds of teeth growing in rows to replace the rapidly attrited old ones. It can be estimated based on its weight that, Shangdong Giant Dinosaur consumed hundred of kilograms of food mainly of succulent algae in water in addition to young leaf on the trees.
Psittacosaurus sinensis
In the terrain stratum of Cretaceous period in Laiyang City of Shandong Province, a comparatively integral fossil of Psittacosaurus was found, later named "Chinese Parrot Dinosaur (Psittacosaurus sinensis)Psittacosaurus sinensis. It has avian feet and walk on the hind limbs. Its mouth is hook-shaped, which is exactly like parrot mouth. As large as cat or dog, Psittacosaurus sinensis is also called "stone cat" by local people. Dwelling in mountainous regions, they feed on vegetables and small insects.
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