![]() Herrerasaurus had a number of odd characteristics about its anatomy that have caused scientists to dispute over what kind of animal it really was. ![]() Its tail was not very flexible because of the bony structures in its vertebrae, which is also a characteristic of dinosaurs that were good runners, to aid in maneuverability. It had proportionally short thighs, and long lower legs and feet, suggesting it was a fast runner in life. Herrerasaurus had strong arms, each armed with three curved claws. (lizards evolved this trait independently of Herrerasaurus, however.) Herrerasaurus was also armed with extremely long, dagger-like teeth, that curved towards the back of the mouth, implying it was a meat-eater in life.Ĭast of the first discovered Herrerasaurus skull on display at the Academy of Natural Science in Pennsylvania. This is an unusual adaptation for dinosaurs, but is common in many modern lizards, like monitors, to help manipulate large chunks of food to the back of the mouth to be swallowed. ![]() Herrerasaurus had a boxy profile to its skull, which was armed with a lower jaw that was able to flex back and fourth. My Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis life reconstruction in watercolors. The genus name translates to "Herrera's Reptile", in honor of the goat herder who discovered the first bones of this dinosaur, Victorino Herrera. When alive Herrerasaurus would have eaten meat. The largest specimen on record would have been about twenty feet long from snout to tail, but all adults may not have reached this size, possibly averaging out at around fifteen feet. Herrerasaurus lived in what is now Argentina, in South America, during the Triassic Period, roughly 231 million years ago. ![]() Today we will be looking at one of the earliest dinosaurs. ![]()
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