Hesperosaurus
Hesperosaurus mjosi
Hesperosaurus foi um estegossauro herbívoro do Jurássico, descrito por Carpenter et al.. Viveu há aproximadamente 156.3-152.1 milhões de anos, na região do que hoje é América do Norte (EUA). Medindo de 6.0-7.0 m, pesando 2.0-3.0 tons, era um representante característico da fauna mesozoica.
Hesperosaurus (from Ancient Greek ἕσπερος (hésperos), meaning "western", and σαῦρος (saûros), meaning "lizard") is a herbivorous stegosaurian dinosaur from the Kimmeridgian age of the Jurassic period, approximately 156 million years ago.
Fossils of Hesperosaurus have been found in the state of Wyoming and Montana in the United States of America since 1985. The type species Hesperosaurus mjosi was named in 2001. It is from an older part of the Morrison Formation, and so a little older than other Morrison stegosaurs. Several relatively complete skeletons of Hesperosaurus are known. One specimen preserves the first known impression of the horn sheath of a stegosaurian back plate.
Hesperosaurus was a member of the Stegosauridae, quadrupedal plant-eaters protected by vertical bony plates and spikes. It was closely related to Stegosaurus and was similar to it in having two rows of, possibly alternating, plates on its back and four spikes on its tail end. The plates on its back were perhaps not as tall, but were longer. It possibly had a deeper skull than Stegosaurus.
- Família
- Stegosauridae
- Ordem
- Ornithischia
- Período
- Jurassic (156.3-152.1 MYA)
- Dieta
- Herbivore
- Comprimento
- 6.0-7.0 m
- Peso
- 2.0-3.0 tons
Fatos científicos
- Medindo 6.0-7.0 m, tinha porte médio para os padrões mesozoicos
- Herbívoro especializado do Jurássico, provavelmente pastava em vegetação de América do Norte (EUA)
- Seus fósseis foram encontrados na região de América do Norte (EUA), contribuindo para o entendimento da fauna jurássico local
- Foi descrito cientificamente por Carpenter et al., contribuindo para o entendimento da diversidade dinossauriana