Fruitadens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids FruitadensTemporal range: Upper Jurassic, 150 mya
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Fruitadens
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Fruitadens was a small dinosaur that lived about 150 million years ago. It belonged to a group of dinosaurs called heterodontosaurids. Its name means "Fruita tooth," because its fossils were first found near Fruita, Colorado, in the United States.
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Meet Fruitadens
Fruitadens was a very small dinosaur. Scientists believe that adult Fruitadens were only about 65 to 75 centimeters (26 to 30 inches) long. That's about the size of a small dog! They weighed around 0.5 to 0.75 kilograms (1.1 to 1.7 pounds). This makes Fruitadens one of the smallest ornithischian dinosaurs ever found.
What Made Fruitadens Special?
One interesting thing about Fruitadens was its teeth. It had a special, enlarged tooth in its lower jaw. This tooth looked a bit like a dog's canine tooth. Opposite this tooth, in its upper jaw, there was a gap. This gap is called a 'diastema'. Unlike some other dinosaurs, Fruitadens did not have an enlarged tooth in its upper jaw. It also had a tiny, peg-like tooth in front of its canine-like tooth.
Another unique feature was that Fruitadens had replacement teeth. This means that when a tooth wore out or fell out, a new one would grow in its place. Most other heterodontosaurids did not have this ability.
What Did Fruitadens Eat?
Scientists believe that Fruitadens was an omnivore. This means it ate both plants and meat. Its teeth were suited for a varied diet, allowing it to chew different kinds of food.
Images for kids
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Life restoration
See also
In Spanish: Fruitadens haagarorum para niños
