Gyposaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gyposaurus |
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| A fossil of G. sinensis at a museum in China. | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Plateosauria |
| Genus: | †Gyposaurus Broom, 1911 |
| Type species | |
| †Gyposaurus capensis (Broom, 1911)
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| Other species | |
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Gyposaurus (say "JIP-oh-SAWR-us") means "vulture lizard." This name came from an old idea that these dinosaurs ate meat, like vultures. But now we know they were mostly plant-eaters!
It was a type of prosauropod, which were early long-necked dinosaurs. Gyposaurus lived during the Early Jurassic period, about 196 to 189 million years ago. Fossils of Gyposaurus have been found in South Africa and China.
Scientists often think that Gyposaurus might have been the young version of other bigger prosauropods. However, one species, "G." sinensis, is thought to be a real, separate species.
Contents
What was Gyposaurus?
Gyposaurus was a genus of prosauropod dinosaur. Prosauropods were a group of plant-eating dinosaurs that lived before the very large, long-necked sauropods. They walked on two legs, but could also walk on all fours.
Scientists first thought Gyposaurus ate meat because of its name, "vulture lizard." But later studies showed that it had teeth and a body shape more suited for eating plants.
Where and When it Lived
Gyposaurus lived during the Early Jurassic period. This was a time when dinosaurs were becoming very common across the Earth. The Early Jurassic lasted from about 201 to 174 million years ago.
Fossils of Gyposaurus have been discovered in two different parts of the world. One type was found in South Africa, and another type was found in China. This shows that similar dinosaurs lived on different continents long ago.
Discovery and Fossils
The first Gyposaurus fossil was found in South Africa and described by Robert Broom in 1911. He named it Gyposaurus capensis.
Later, in 1941, another species was found in China by Yang. This one was named Gyposaurus sinensis. The fossils found include bones from the jaw, legs, and other parts of the skeleton. These fossils help scientists understand what Gyposaurus looked like and how it lived.
Images for kids
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A jawbone (maxilla) of "G." sinensis at the Paleozoological Museum of China.
See also
In Spanish: Gyposaurus para niños
