Lesothosaurus
Lesothosaurus diagnosticus
Lesothosaurus is a monospecific genus of ornithischian dinosaur that lived during the Early Jurassic in what is now South Africa and Lesotho. It was named by paleontologist Peter Galton in 1978, the name meaning "lizard from Lesotho". The genus has only one valid species, Lesothosaurus diagnosticus. Lesothosaurus is one of the most completely-known early ornithischians, based on numerous skull and postcranial fossils from the Upper Elliot Formation. It had a simpler tooth and jaw anatomy than later ornithischians, and may have been omnivorous in some parts of the year.
- Family
- Lesothosauridae
- Order
- Ornithischia
- Period
- Jurassic (201.4–196.0 Ma)
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Length
- 1.0–1.2 m
- Weight
- 3–5 kg
- Type locality
- Upper Elliot Formation, Lesotho
- PBDB
- txn:57573