Alvarezsaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids AlvarezsaurusTemporal range: Upper Cretaceous
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Alvarezsauridae
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Alvarezsaurus
Bonaparte, 1991
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A. calvoi Bonaparte, 1991 (type) |
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The Alvarezsaurus (say: Al-vah-rez-SAW-rus) was a small dinosaur that lived in what is now Argentina. It roamed the Earth during the Upper Cretaceous period, about 86 to 83 million years ago. This speedy dinosaur was about 2 meters (6.5 feet) long, which is roughly the length of a small car. It weighed around 20 kilograms (44 pounds), similar to a medium-sized dog.
The name Alvarezsaurus means "Alvarez's lizard." It was named by a famous paleontologist (a scientist who studies fossils) named Jose Bonaparte in 1991.
Alvarezsaurus walked on two legs, like a bird. It had a long tail that likely helped it balance while running. Scientists believe it was a very fast runner because of its strong leg bones. This dinosaur might have eaten insects, using its small, quick movements to catch them. It was an early relative of other well-known dinosaurs in its family, like Mononykus and Shuvuuia.
Alvarezsaurus in TV Shows
Alvarezsaurus was shown in the Discovery Channel television series Dinosaur Planet. In the show, it was imagined as a hunter of young Saltasaurus dinosaurs. However, it's important to know that these two dinosaurs did not live at the same time. Alvarezsaurus lived about 5 million years before Saltasaurus appeared. This means they would never have met in real life!
Images for kids
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Restoration.
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Skeletal diagram of known remains.
See also
In Spanish: Alvarezsaurus calvoi para niños
