Eoraptor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids EoraptorTemporal range: Upper Triassic 231.4 mya
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Eoraptor
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Eoraptor was one of the very first dinosaurs. It was a small dinosaur that ate both plants and meat, or perhaps just meat. It lived about 231.4 million years ago. This was during the start of the Upper Triassic period. Scientists could tell its exact age. They found a layer of volcanic ash right under its fossil. This ash helped them date the fossil precisely.
Eoraptor was a small and light dinosaur. It walked on two long legs. It was about 3 feet (1 meter) long. Its bones were light and hollow. It had a long head with many small, sharp teeth. Its hands had five fingers, which were good for grasping. Two of these fingers on each hand were very small.
Where Eoraptor Lived
The fossil of Eoraptor was found in Ischigualasto Provincial Park in Argentina. This park is famous for having some of the oldest dinosaur remains. The fossils found here are very important. They are also in great condition. This park is special because it shows almost all of the Triassic period. The layers of rock are undisturbed.
What is now a badland area was once a different place. Millions of years ago, it was a floodplain. Many rivers flowed through it. There were also active volcanoes. The area had strong seasonal rainfall.
Other Animals in the Park
Many different animal fossils are found in Ischigualasto Park. Rhynchosaurs and cynodonts are the most common. These are types of ancient four-legged animals. Dinosaurs make up only a small part of the fossils, about 6%.
However, these dinosaur fossils are very important. They include early examples of the two main groups of dinosaurs. These groups are ornithischians and saurischians. The meat-eating dinosaur Herrerasaurus is the most common dinosaur fossil found there.
Eoraptor's Teeth
Eoraptor had two different kinds of teeth. In its upper jaw (called the maxillae), it had serrated teeth. These teeth were also curved backwards. They were like the teeth of other meat-eating dinosaurs called theropods.
In its lower jaw (called the dentary), it had leaf-shaped teeth. These teeth were similar to those of early long-necked dinosaurs. Having two types of teeth suggests Eoraptor might have eaten both plants and meat.
Images for kids
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Holotype specimen
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Skull cast
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Skeleton of Eoraptor lunensis, known remains depicted in white and light grey, unknown in dark grey.
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Restoration
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Herrerasaurus (large), Eoraptor (small), and Plateosaurus (skull), three early saurischians
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Replica skeleton in Japan
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Artist's impression
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Backbone and upper limbs outcropping from the soil, Valle de la Luna, Argentina
See also
In Spanish: Eoraptor lunensis para niños
