Lesothosaurus

Live reconstruction of Lesothosaurus diagonsticus

• Lesotho ( South Africa)

• Lesothosaurus diagnosticus

Lesothosaurus (Lesotho lizard ) is a very original representatives of the bird Beck dinosaur ( Ornithischia ), who lived during the Early Jurassic ( Hettangian ) in southern Africa.

Lesothosaurus was originally included among the ornithopods, but investigations by Paul Sereno put him as one of the most primitive known bird Beck dinosaurs at the origin of this taxon. So far, only the type Lesothosaurus diagnosticus described, the genus is monotypic so.

Features

The had about a meter long herbivore an iguana -like, short, flat and small skull, with pointed arrow-shaped teeth, short front legs ( with five -fingered hands ), long hind legs and a long tail. The long hind legs suggest that Lesothosaurus could run very fast. The hinge end (caput femoris ossis ) the pronounced femur is unique in dinosaurs. Lesothosaurus biped ran on its hind legs.

His remains were found in the Upper Elliot Formation and are about 201-199 million years old.