Camptosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids CamptosaurusTemporal range: Upper Jurassic, 156–145 mya
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Camptosauridae
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Camptosaurus
Marsh, 1885
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The Camptosaurus (say "CAMP-toe-SORE-us") was a plant-eating dinosaur. Its name means "bent lizard." This dinosaur lived during the Upper Jurassic period, which was about 156 to 145 million years ago. It is a close relative of the well-known Iguanodon.
This sturdy dinosaur was an ornithischian, meaning it had hips like a bird. It grew to be about 16 to 23 feet (5 to 7 meters) long. At its hips, it stood about 3 to 4 feet (1 meter) tall. A full-grown Camptosaurus weighed around 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg), which is like a small car! It had a long snout and a horny beak for biting off plants. Inside its mouth were hundreds of small teeth for chewing. Its back legs were longer than its front arms. It had four toes on its feet and five fingers on its hands, all with hooves. The Camptosaurus could walk on two legs or all four. It probably walked on all fours when it was grazing for low-lying plants.
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What is an Ornithischian Dinosaur?
Ornithischian dinosaurs are a group of dinosaurs with a special hip structure. Their hip bones are arranged like those of birds. This is different from other dinosaurs, whose hips are more like lizards. All ornithischian dinosaurs were plant-eaters.
Where Did Camptosaurus Live?
Camptosaurus fossils have been found mainly in North America. They lived in areas that are now part of the United States. These dinosaurs were part of the Morrison Formation, a famous rock layer. This formation is known for many dinosaur fossils from the Late Jurassic period.
How Did Camptosaurus Eat?
As a plant-eater, Camptosaurus had special features for its diet. Its horny beak helped it snip off tough plants. The many small teeth inside its mouth were perfect for grinding up leaves and other vegetation. It likely ate ferns, cycads, and other plants common in the Jurassic period.
Movement and Lifestyle
Camptosaurus was able to move on both two legs (bipedal) and four legs (quadrupedal). When it needed to run fast, it could stand on its powerful back legs. But for everyday walking and eating low plants, it probably used all four limbs. This flexibility helped it survive in its environment.
Discovery of Camptosaurus
The first fossils of Camptosaurus were found in the western United States. They were discovered in the late 1800s. The famous paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh officially named and described this dinosaur in 1885. These early discoveries helped scientists learn a lot about dinosaurs from the Jurassic period.
Images for kids
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A restoration showing what Camptosaurus might have looked like.
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An old drawing of a Camptosaurus skeleton by O.C. Marsh. The skull in this drawing is now thought to belong to a different dinosaur called Theiophytalia.
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An older display of a C. nanus skeleton at the American Museum of Natural History. Scientists now think C. nanus was just a younger C. dispar.
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A Camptosaurus skeleton displayed in an older, four-legged pose, with a Theiophytalia skull, at the Natural History Museum of Milan.
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A cast of a Camptosaurus skull found in Wyoming.
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A drawing of six different ornithopod dinosaurs, with Camptosaurus on the far left.
See also
In Spanish: Camptosaurus dispar para niños
