Don’t let the name fool you: Infernogallus jamesi, aka the “hell chicken,” wasn’t some kind of ancient apex poultry. After extensively reviewing some of the most complete fossilized remains ever found of this Cretaceous era dinosaur, paleontologists now theorize the beaked species didn’t even enjoy meat at all. Instead, soft fruits were on the menu. The findings do more than simply repair the reputation of a turkey-sized dinosaur. In a study recently published in Nature Communications, researchers explained how I. jamesi and its evolutionary relatives paved the way for today’s fruit-loving birds.
First discovered in 2011 at Montana’s famous (and aptly named) Hell Creek Formation, I. jamesi arguably resembled more of an oversized parrot than a hell chicken. The creature belonged to a family of nonavian dinosaurs known as the caenagnathids characterized by sleek physiologies and toothless beaks. It was a latecomer to the Age of Dinosaurs, living about 72–66 million years ago alongside other North American species like triceratops and Tyrannosaurus rex.
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