Name:
Fruitadens (Greek for "Fruita tooth"); pronounced FRUIT-ah-denz
Habitat:
Woodlands of North America
Historical Period:
Late Jurassic (150 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 2 feet long and 1-2 pounds
Diet:
Probably omnivorous
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Small size; possibly feathers
About Fruitadens:
As so often happens, the fossils of Fruitadens languished for over two decades before being meticulously examined by paleontologists. What they found made headlines worldwide: a tiny (one or two pounds max), late Jurassic dinosaur that probably fed opportunistically on bugs, plants, and any small critters that happened along its path. This dinosaur has proven difficult to classify; now classified as an ornithopod, Fruitadens is believed to have been a close (albeit smaller) relative of Heterodontosaurus.
By the way, the name Fruitadens is often mistakenly translated as "fruit tooth," but this wee dinosaur was actually named after the Fruita fossil region of Colorado, where its bones were excavated.
