Blikanasaurus
Blikanasaurus cromptoni
Pronounced: bli - Kan -
ah - Saw - rus
Diet: Herbivore
(Plant-Eater)
Name Means: "Blikana
Lizard"
Length: 16 feet (5 m)
Height: 5 feet (1.7 m)
Weight: 1,000 pounds (450
kilos)
Time: Late Triassic - 225
million years ago
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur have been found
in Africa
Blikanasaurus was one of the earliest dinosaurs, and one
of the first of what would evolve into the big, long-necked
sauropod dinosaurs.
Blikanasaurus was an African dinosaur whose ancestors may
have walked to Africa from South America. It was fairly
heavy for its size, and as such, it was one of the first
dinosaurs to begin walking primarily on four legs - although
it probably still could have moved about on two legs.
Blikanasaurus represents a unique point in dinosaur
evolution as it seems to demonstrate how nature experiments
with different designs. In fact, there is still discussion
as to whether Blikanasaurus was an evolutionary dead end as
some of its characteristics don't appear in later sauropods.
One example is that this animal had a greatly reduced fifth
metatarsal (foot bone); this bone was much larger in later
sauropods and it is not likely that it would have evolved to
become larger. |
