Fabrosauridae facts for kids

Fabrosauridae is the name given to a group of early, small dinosaurs. These dinosaurs lived during the late Triassic and Jurassic periods. They were part of the Ornithischia group, which means "bird-hipped" dinosaurs.

What are Fabrosaurids?

Fabrosaurids were thought to be a family of primitive, or very early, ornithischian dinosaurs. They were generally small and walked on two legs. Scientists believe they might have looked a lot like a dinosaur called Lesothosaurus.

Early Bird-Hipped Dinosaurs

The term "ornithischian" refers to dinosaurs that had hip bones arranged like those of a bird. This is different from "saurischian" dinosaurs, which had lizard-like hips. Ornithischians include many well-known plant-eating dinosaurs like Triceratops and Stegosaurus. Fabrosaurids were among the very first dinosaurs in this bird-hipped group.

Why are they a "Proposed" Group?

Today, most scientists do not consider Fabrosauridae to be a true family of dinosaurs. It is called a "proposed" group because it was suggested a long time ago. However, new discoveries and studies show that the dinosaurs once placed in this group are actually from different dinosaur families. This means the group is "polyphyletic," which is a science term meaning its members come from different evolutionary lines, not a single common ancestor within that group. Instead, these dinosaurs are now placed in other, better-known dinosaur groups.

Images for kids

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  Agilisaurus louderbacki was once considered a fabrosaurid.

See also

In Spanish: Fabrosauridae para niños