Final answer:
The statement is false; ornithopods were herbivorous, while the large, meat-eating dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous were theropods like the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement about gigantic, meat-eating ornithopods being characteristic of the Late Cretaceous is false. Ornithopods were primarily herbivorous, and the large, meat-eating dinosaurs of the Late Cretaceous were actually theropods, such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex. The Ornithischia clade, often referred to as the bird-hipped dinosaurs, were different from the saurischians, which included both herbivorous sauropods and carnivorous theropods. Notably, birds are descendants from theropods, not ornithischians. It is important to distinguish between these clades when discussing the characteristics and diets of dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous.
Ornithopods, on the other hand, were a group of herbivorous dinosaurs that were more common during the early and middle parts of the Cretaceous period. Examples of ornithopods include Iguanodon and Maiasaura.