Huayangosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids HuayangosaurusTemporal range: Middle Jurassic 165 mya
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| Huayangosaurus tianfuensis in Hong Kong. | |
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Huayangosaurus
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Huayangosaurus is a type of dinosaur called a stegosaur. It lived in China during the Middle Jurassic period. Its name, "Huayang," is an old name for the Sichuan province where it was found.
This dinosaur lived about 165 million years ago. That's about 20 million years before its more famous relative, Stegosaurus, appeared in North America. Huayangosaurus was also much smaller than Stegosaurus. It was only about 4.5 meters (15 feet) long. Huayangosaurus shared its home with other dinosaurs like the long-necked sauropods Shunosaurus and Omeisaurus, and the meat-eating Gasosaurus.
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What Did Huayangosaurus Look Like?
Like other stegosaurs, Huayangosaurus was a quadrupedal herbivore. This means it walked on four legs and ate only plants. It had a small skull (head) and a tail with spikes.
One of the most special things about Huayangosaurus was the double row of plates on its back. These plates stood up vertically along its arched spine. Unlike the flat plates of Stegosaurus, the plates on Huayangosaurus were more like sharp spikes. It also had two pairs of long spikes near the end of its tail. These spikes stuck out sideways.
Huayangosaurus was one of the smallest stegosaurs known. It measured just about 4.5 meters (15 feet) from its nose to the tip of its tail.
Finding Huayangosaurus
Scientists found the remains of twelve different Huayangosaurus dinosaurs. They were discovered in a quarry near Zigong in Sichuan, China. The official name for this dinosaur is H. taibaii.
Plates and Spikes: What Were They For?
Like many stegosaurs, Huayangosaurus had plates along its back and spikes on its tail. It also had two large spikes above its hips. These hip spikes might have helped protect it from attacks from above. Since Huayangosaurus was quite short compared to later stegosaurs, this defense would have been useful.
Its back plates were smaller than those of Stegosaurus. They also had much less surface area. This means they probably weren't very good at helping the dinosaur control its body temperature. Scientists think the larger plates of Stegosaurus might have helped it warm up or cool down.
Huayangosaurus in Museums
You can see mounted skeletons of Huayangosaurus in a few places. They are on display at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in Zigong, China. You can also find them at the Municipal Museum of Chongqing in Sichuan Province.
Images for kids
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Restoration
See also
In Spanish: Huayangosaurus taibaii para niños
