Darwinsaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids DarwinsaurusTemporal range: Lower Cretaceous, fossil range 140–138 mya
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | †Ornithischia |
| Suborder: | †Ornithopoda |
| Clade: | †Styracosterna |
| Genus: | †Darwinsaurus Paul, 2012 |
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Darwinsaurus (meaning "Darwin's lizard") is an ornithopod dinosaur once wrongly described as Iguanodon.
In the early nineteenth century dinosaur remains were discovered near Hastings in East Sussex. These were first reported by Richard Owen in 1842. In 1889 they were referred to Iguanodon fittoni by Richard Lydekker. They were then assigned to Hypselospinus fittoni by David B. Norman in 2010.
In 2012 Gregory S. Paul named them as a separate genus and species. The type species is Darwinsaurus evolutionis. The generic name honours Charles Darwin for his theory of evolution. The first fossil described as Darwinsaurus is known from a partial skeleton.
Paul's decision is being challenged, and the present account may need be changed.
Images for kids
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Metatarsal III foot bone of specimen NHMUK R1148n
See also
In Spanish: Darwinsaurus evolutionis para niños
