'Parrot-like dinosaur' found in Mongolia

Paleontologists have discovered a new dinosaur, which resembles a giant parrot, in Mongolia.

An international team, led by Chicago University, has found the creature 'Psittacosaurus gobiensis' whose name means "parrot lizard", which it claims might have had lived some 110 million years ago.

Features of the dinosaur included a near perfect skull, strong jaw muscles and a powerful biting and crushing bill -- showing it evolved structures like those in parrots. Its short snout just a third of the skull length was different to most dinosaurs, giving the skull its parrot-esque profile.

According to the findings, the three feet long psittacosaurs may also have had a diet dominated by nuts and seeds, owing to the presence of many large stomach stones, according to the findings, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Prof Paul Sereno, who led the team, said analysis of its skull showed it chewed its food in a similar way to modern parrots. "These and other features, along with the presence of numerous large stomach stones, suggest that psittacosaurs may have had a high-fibre, nut eating diet."

Psittacosaurs are noted for being the most species- rich dinosaur genus with at least nine different species, including the latest found in the Gobi Desert. They ate plants and walked normally on two legs but could reach the ground with their three-fingered hands.

"Psittacosaurs are all relatively small in body size, ranging from one to two metres in body length. Their geographic range is limited to central Asia, and their temporal range may be as narrow as 10-20 million years in the mid Cretaceous," Prof Sereno said.