Thecodontosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ThecodontosaurusTemporal range: Triassic period
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Thecodontosauridae
Lydekker, 1890
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Thecodontosaurus
Riley & Stuchbury, 1836
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Thecodontosaurus (say: Thee-koh-DON-toh-saw-rus) means "socket-toothed lizard." This amazing dinosaur lived a very long time ago, during the Triassic period. This was when the Earth was quite warm, and much of the land was dry and like a desert. It was also a time when the first dinosaurs were just starting to appear!
Discovering Thecodontosaurus
Fossils of Thecodontosaurus have been found in southwest England, near the city of Bristol, and also in Wales. When Thecodontosaurus lived, these areas were likely dry and desert-like, just like other parts of the world.
Scientists H. Riley and S. Stutchbury first described Thecodontosaurus in 1836. Later, in 1843, another scientist named Morris officially gave it its name. Finding these fossils helped us learn a lot about the very first dinosaurs.
What Thecodontosaurus Looked Like
Thecodontosaurus was a relatively small dinosaur. It was about 2.5 meters (8 feet) long, which is roughly the size of a small car. It probably walked on two legs, but it might have been able to walk on all four legs sometimes too.
Scientists have studied its bones to understand how it fits into the dinosaur family tree. It's considered a very early type of sauropodomorph dinosaur. These are the ancestors of the giant, long-necked dinosaurs like Brontosaurus and Diplodocus. However, Thecodontosaurus's neck was shorter than those of its later, more famous relatives.
Images for kids
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Life restoration compared to a human
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Bob Nicholls sculpting a model in Bristol Museum
See also
In Spanish: Thecodontosaurus antiquus para niños
