1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Dinosaurs

Scelidosaurus

By , About.com Guide

Scelidosaurus (Wikimedia Commons)

Name:

Scelidosaurus (Greek for "lower hind limb lizard"); pronounced SKELL-ih-doe-SORE-us

Habitat:

Woodlands of western Europe and southern North America

Historical Period:

Early Jurassic (208-195 million years ago)

Size and Weight:

About 11 feet long and 500 pounds

Diet:

Plants

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Bony plates and spines on back; horny beak

About Scelidosaurus:

As dinosaurs go, Scelidosaurus is fairly ancient, popping up at the start of the Jurassic 208 million years ago and persisting for the next 10 or 15 million years. In fact, this herbivore is so old that paleontologists speculate that it may have given rise to the line that spawned both ankylosaurs (typified by Ankylosaurus) and stegosaurs (typified by Stegosaurus) a hundred million years later.

In any case, Scelidosaurus was clearly one of the first ornithischian ("bird-hipped") dinosaurs, a line that included many of the highly specialized, herbivorous dinosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Some ornithischians were bipedal and some were quadrupedal; although its hind limbs were longer than its forelimbs, paleontologists speculate that Scelidosaurus walked on all fours.

Explore Dinosaurs

About.com Special Features

A Smarter Future

Tips that will help finance your education, excel in the classroom, and advance your career. More >

How to Ace the GRE

Being well prepared is the first step; here are more essential suggestions. More >

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Dinosaurs
  4. Types of Dinosaurs
  5. Herbivorous Dinosaurs
  6. Scelidosaurus - Dinosaur Scelidosaurus Characteristics, Behavior and Habitat>

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.