Name:
Gasparinisaura (Greek for "Gasparini’s lizard"); pronounced GAS-par-EE-knee-SORE-ah
Habitat:
Woodlands of South America
Historical Period:
Late Cretaceous (90-85 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 3 feet long and 75 pounds
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Small size; short, blunt head
About Gasparinisaura:
About the size and weight of a typical second-grader, Gasparinisaura is important because it's one of the few ornithopods known to have lived in South America during the Cretaceous period. Based on the discovery of numerous fossil remains in the same area, it's believed that this small plant-eater lived in herds, which probably helped protect it from the larger predators in its ecosystem (as did it ability to run away very quickly when threatened!).
