Hesperornithoides (hess-per-or-nith-oides) was a genus of Troodontid dinosaur that lived in North America during the Late Jurassic.
Characteristics[]
Hesperornithoides was a small, bird-like dinosaur. It grew to around a meter in length. It almost certainly possessed feathers, a trait which can be found among other Troodontids.
The living creature[]
Unlike some other bird-like dinosaurs, Troodontids like Hesperornithoides were not capable of flight. However, Hesperornithoides might have been a small generalistic predator.
Importance[]
Hesperornithoides is a highly significant genus. While most paleontologists believe birds to be the direct descendants of dinosaurs, some pointed out what has become known as the "temporal paradox." Most known bird-like dinosaurs existed during the Cretaceous, long after early birds such as Archaeopteryx. This led some to suggest that birds must have evolved separately from dinosaurs. However, Hesperornithoides shows that bird-like dinosaurs existed at a similar time to early avian dinosaurs, supporting the idea that the "temporal paradox" is not valid.