Name:
Hypsilophodon (Greek for "high-ridged tooth"); pronounced HIP-sih-LOAF-oh-don
Habitat:
Forests of western Europe
Historical Period:
Middle Cretaceous (125-120 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 6 feet long and 150 pounds
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Bipedal stance; numerous teeth lining cheeks
About Hypsilophodon:
The first bones of Hypsilophodon were dug up in England in 1849, but it wasn't until 20 years later that they were recognized as belonging to an entirely new genus of dinosaur, and not to a juvenile Iguanodon (as paleontologists first thought).
Hypsilophodon appears to have been built for speed, with long legs and a long, straight stiff tail, which it held vertically to the ground for balance. Since we know Hypsilophodon was a herbivore, we can guess that this dinosaur sprinted fast in order to escape the larger carnivores of the middle Cretaceous.
