Chindesaurus
Chindesaurus bryansmalli
Pronounced: Chin-dee-Saw-rus
Diet: Carnivore(meat-eater)
Name Means: "Chinde Lizard"
Length: 6.6 ft. (2 m)
Height: 3.3 ft. (1 m)
Weight: 66 lb. (30 kilos)
Time: Late Triassic - 225 mya
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur have been found in North
America
Chindesaurus may be the first dinosaur to live in North America. This
small creature seemed to have lived throughout the Southwestern United
States at about the time dinosaurs were beginning to show up in the world.
It shared its environment with other prehistoric animals such as primitive
reptiles and larger mammal-like reptiles. It is most likely related to
Herrerasaurus and it seems to have been a meat-eater; the question
is, which one of these dinosaurs came first?
Chindesaurus was discovered in 1984 and the subsequent discovery of other
specimens has caused considerable interest in this very early dinosaur.
Unfortunately, no skull material has been discovered. It is a primitive
dinosaurian form, with a number of features that are close to reptilian. It
also seems to have unusually long legs relative to its body length. |
