Herrerasaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids HerrerasaurusTemporal range: Upper Triassic
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Herrerasauridae
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Herrerasaurus
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Herrerasaurus was one of the very first dinosaurs to walk on Earth. All its known fossils have been found in northwestern Argentina. These fossils are from the Upper Triassic period, about 231.4 million years ago.
This dinosaur was a meat-eater, also known as a carnivore. It belongs to a group called Herrerasauridae. This family includes other early dinosaurs that were similar to Herrerasaurus.
Contents
What Herrerasaurus Looked Like
Herrerasaurus was a bipedal (two-legged) dinosaur that was built quite lightly. It had a long tail and a head that was fairly small compared to its body.
Size and Weight
Scientists think Herrerasaurus was about 3 to 6 meters (10 to 20 feet) long. That's roughly the length of a small bus! Its hips were more than 1.1 meters (3.3 feet) high. It might have weighed around 210 to 350 kilograms (463 to 772 pounds). That's about as heavy as a few large adult humans.
Skull and Tail
The skull of a large Herrerasaurus could be up to 56 centimeters (1.8 feet) long. Smaller ones had skulls about 30 centimeters (1 foot) long. Its tail was special because it was partly stiff. This helped the dinosaur balance its body and also allowed it to run very fast.
Where Herrerasaurus Lived
Herrerasaurus lived in a place that is now called the Ischigualasto Formation. Back then, this area was a floodplain with lots of volcano activity. It was covered by thick forests.
Climate and Plants
The climate was warm and moist, but it had different seasons. The forests were full of ferns, horsetails, and giant conifer trees. These plants grew along the banks of rivers.
Other Animals in the Habitat
Herrerasaurus was one of the most common meat-eating animals in this area. It shared its home with other creatures, including a smaller dinosaur called Eoraptor, which was only about one meter long. There was also a huge four-legged Archosaur named Saurosuchus. Many plant-eating animals, like therapsids and other reptiles, also lived there. At this time, dinosaurs had not yet become the main animals on land.
Images for kids
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Scale diagram showing the holotype specimen (red) and the largest-known specimen (gray), compared in size with a human
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Life restoration
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Skeletal diagram
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Life restoration
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Reconstructed skull in the Natural History Museum in Milan
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An artist's impression; feeding on a small synapsid
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Model depicted with prey
See also
In Spanish: Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis para niños
