Name:
Urbacodon (acronym/Greek for "Uzbek, Russian, British, American and Canadian tooth"); pronounced UR-bah-COE-don
Habitat:
Plains of central Asia
Historical Period:
Late Cretaceous (95 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 5 feet long and 20-25 pounds
Diet:
Meat
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Small size; bipedal posture; lack of serrations on teeth
About Urbacodon:
Urbacodon is a truly international dinosaur: the "urbac" in its name is an acronym for "Uzbek, Russian, British, American and Canadian," the nationalities of the paleontologists who participated in the dig in Uzbekistan. Known from only a piece of its jawbone, Urbacodon seems to have been closely related to two other feathered theropods of Eurasia, Byronosaurus and Mei (and all three of these dinosaurs are technically classified as "troodonts," in reference to the much more famous Troodon).
