Scutellosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scutellosaurus |
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Scutellosaurus
Colbert, 1981
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Scutellosaurus was a small dinosaur that lived about 200 to 196 million years ago. This was during the Lower Jurassic period. It was a plant-eater, also known as a herbivore.
This dinosaur walked on two legs, meaning it was bipedal. Its back was covered in armour, like a shield. Because of its armour, Scutellosaurus belongs to a group of dinosaurs called Thyreophora. This group also includes other famous armoured dinosaurs. Scutellosaurus was one of the very first dinosaurs in this group. Its relatives might have been Emausaurus and Scelidosaurus. Larger armoured dinosaurs like Ankylosaurus and Stegosaurus walked on all four legs. But Scutellosaurus was lighter and walked on two legs, just like many of the very first dinosaurs.
What Did Scutellosaurus Look Like?
Scutellosaurus was about 1.2 meters (4 feet) long. It stood about 50 centimeters (20 inches) tall at its hips. This dinosaur weighed around 10 kilograms (22 pounds).
Scientists have found two partial skeletons of Scutellosaurus in Arizona. However, only the lower jaw of its skull has been found. It had hundreds of small, bony plates called scutes. These scutes ran all the way from its neck down its back to its tail. Some of these shields were flat, while others had tiny pits.
Scutellosaurus had a very long tail. This long tail probably helped it to keep its balance. It needed this balance because of the weight of its armoured body. It also had long arms. This suggests that it might have sometimes walked on all fours to find food.
Images for kids
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Scutellosaurus lawleri compared to a human
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Coelophysis? kayentakatae feeding on a Scutellosaurus.
See also
In Spanish: Scutellosaurus lawleri para niños
