Minmi
Minmi paravertebra
Pronounced:
Min - mee
Diet:
Herbivore
(Plant-Eater)
Name
Means:
"Minmi Crossing"
Length:
10 feet (3 m)
Height:
3Feet (1 m)
Weight:
500 pounds (225
kilos)
Time:
Early Cretaceous -
125 MYA
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur have been found in Australia
Minmi was unique in two ways. It is the most complete dinosaur yet discovered in Australia, and it has the shortest name of any dinosaur.
Minmi was a small
member of the family of
plant-eating armored
dinosaurs that also
included Ankylosaurus.
It had several features
not seen before on
armored dinosaurs, such
as bony armor on its
underside, and it may
have lacked any kind of
spines or spikes on its
neck and shoulders.
Recent studies have
also uncovered stomach
contents associated with
this dinosaur. This
amazing discovery led to
the first reliable
analysis of an
herbivore's diet. It
also proved that
ankylosaurs were
herbivorous and that
their diet consisted of
soft plant materials,
such as leaves, fruit,
and small stems. The
size of the material in
its stomach also
suggests that it had
cheeks that allowed it
to chew its food before
it swallowed.
Minmi was the first
ankylosaur discovered in
Australia. Ankylosaurs
normally had shoulder
spines, but none were
found with this fossil.
This may be due to the
way in which it became
fossilized and doesn't
necessarily mean that it
never had any. |
