Thescelosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ThescelosaurusTemporal range: Late Cretaceous
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Thescelosaurus at the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford, Illinois | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Superorder: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Infraorder: | |
| Family: | |
| Subfamily: | |
| Genus: |
Thescelosaurus
Gilmore, 1913
|
| Species | |
|
|
| Synonyms | |
|
|
Thescelosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived in forests. It roamed North America during the late Cretaceous period. This was about 77 to 65 million years ago.
Scientists have found one complete skeleton and eight other partial Thescelosaurus skeletons. These fossils were discovered in Wyoming, Montana, and South Dakota in the USA. They were also found in Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada. Some fossils even show skin impressions!
Contents
What Was Thescelosaurus Like?
Thescelosaurus was a type of ornithopod dinosaur. This means it was a plant-eater that walked on two legs. It was not a very large dinosaur, usually growing to about 10 to 13 feet (3 to 4 meters) long. It likely weighed around 400 to 700 pounds (180 to 320 kg).
Where Did Thescelosaurus Live?
This dinosaur lived in areas that were once lush forests. These forests had many different types of plants for it to eat. Its home was in what is now North America.
When Did Thescelosaurus Live?
Thescelosaurus lived during the very end of the Cretaceous period. This time is known as the Maastrichtian age. It was one of the last dinosaurs to live before the big extinction event. That event happened about 66 million years ago.
Fossil Discoveries
Many fossils of Thescelosaurus have been found. These discoveries help us learn about its life. Scientists have found bones, teeth, and even some skin impressions.
The Famous "Willo" Specimen
One very special Thescelosaurus fossil is nicknamed "Willo." It was found near Buffalo, South Dakota. What makes Willo so special is that scientists found something inside its chest. They thought it might be a fossilized four-chambered heart.
If it truly is a heart, it would be the first dinosaur heart ever found! This discovery helps us understand how dinosaurs might have lived. It suggests they had strong hearts, like birds and mammals today. However, some scientists still debate if it is truly a heart or just a rock formation.
Skin Impressions
Some Thescelosaurus fossils show impressions of its skin. These impressions tell us that its skin was covered in small, bumpy scales. This is similar to what we see on many reptiles today.
Images for kids
-
T. neglectus holotype at the Smithsonian Museum, with skull and neck restored after Camptosaurus
-
Charles Gilmore's 1915 reconstruction of the T. neglectus type specimen
-
Cast of CMN 8537, described as the type specimen for T. edmontonensis (T. sp. per Boyd et al., [2009])
-
Thescelosaurus with skin impressions, Museum of the Rockies specimen 979
-
T. neglectus protofeathered reconstruction
-
Front of reconstructed skeleton, Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center
-
Skull of T. neglectus NCSM 15728 ("Willo") in left and right view
-
T. neglectus scaly restoration
-
"Willo" specimen, with the possible heart left of the shoulder blade
-
"Willo"'s supposed "heart"
_(20037655814).jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Thescelosaurus para niños
