Wakinosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wakinosaurus |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Restoration of Wakinosaurus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Genus: |
Wakinosaurus
Okazaki, 1992
|
| Species | |
|
|
Wakinosaurus (meaning "Wakino lizard") is a genus of theropod dinosaur. Scientists are not completely sure about this dinosaur. This is because we only have one fossil from it: a single tooth!
Contents
Discovering Wakinosaurus
Where and When Was It Found?
The only known fossil of Wakinosaurus was found in Japan. It was discovered in 1990 in Fukuoka. The fossil came from rocks that are from the Early Cretaceous period. This means the dinosaur lived a very long time ago!
Who Found the Tooth?
A person named Masahiro Sato found the tooth. He was the one who made this important discovery.
What Does the Tooth Tell Us?
The tooth is shaped like a triangle. It has small, saw-like edges on its cutting side. These edges are called serrations. Many meat-eating dinosaurs, like theropods, had teeth with these serrations. This helped them cut through the meat of their prey.
Why Is It a Dubious Dinosaur?
Wakinosaurus is called a "dubious" genus. This means scientists are not fully sure about it. It is very hard to find other fossils that definitely belong to Wakinosaurus. Because we only have one tooth, it's difficult to learn more about this dinosaur.
