Lesothosaurus
Lesothosaurus diagnosticus
Pronounced:
leh - So - tho - Saw - rus
Diet:
Herbivore (Plant-Eater)
Name Means:
"diagnostic Lesotho lizard"
Length: 3
feet (1 m)
Height: 1
foot (.3 m)
Weight:
15 pounds (7 kilos)
Time:
Triassic
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur have been found in
Africa, Australia
Lesothosaurus is a very early herbivorous
(plant-eating) dinosaur. It was very small
compared to the later giant plant-eaters.
Not a lot is known about this small
dinosaur. Lesothosaurus, being such an early
dinosaur, shared the way it looked with
early meat-eaters. It was still small enough
and light enough that it could walk mostly
on its hind legs. It was a small, speedy
creature that would eat low-growing plants.
Lesothosaurus is known from some skull
and skeleton fragments. It is interesting as
a specimen because it developed at the very
beginning of the Jurassic period.
Fragmentary fossils of a dinosaur that was
initially identified as
Fabrosaurus are thought to
possibly be those of the Lesothosaurus. This
material was found in Australia (which was
connected to South Africa in the late
Triassic) and current thinking is that it is
likely the same dinosaur. |
