Saltopus
Saltopus elgininsis
Pronounced: Salt - o - puss
Diet: Carnivore (meat-eater
Name Means: "Leaping Foot"
Length: 3 ft. (1 meters)
Height: 1 ft. (30 cm)
Weight: 20 pounds (9 kilos)
Time: Late Triassic - 225 MYA
Fossil remains for this Dinosaur have been found in Europe
According to most scientists, Saltopus was one of the
earliest dinosaurs. Other scientists think the small,
swift meat-eater may have been a reptile that was not
quite evolved into a dinosaur. It had features that are
found on dinosaurs but which are also found on some
reptiles. It ran on its hind legs, had a long snout with
sharp teeth, had claws on its hand that could be used
for grabbing, and it had a long tail that would have
been carried off the ground. These types of animals are
very important in helping understand how, when and where
dinosaurs first appeared.
Saltopus was found in the northern part of England, an area not known for dinosaur discoveries and usually not considered an area of early dinosaurian evolution. Since most other basal dinosaurs have been found in what was southern Pangaea, this northern specimen is somewhat of an enigma. |
