Name:
Scutellosaurus (Greek for "little shield lizard"); pronounced SKOO-tell-oh-SORE-usHabitat:
Woodlands of southern North AmericaHistorical Period:
Early Jurassic (200-195 million years ago)Size and Weight:
About 4 feet long and 25 poundsDiet:
PlantsDistinguishing Characteristics:
Small size; long tail; bony studs on backAbout Scutellosaurus:
One of the persistent themes of evolution is that large, imposing creatures descend from small, mouselike ones. Although no one would think of comparing Scutellosaurus to a mouse (it weighed about 25 pounds, for instance, and was covered with bony spikes), it certainly was rodent-sized compared to its armored descendants of the Cretaceous period, such as Ankylosaurus.
Although its hind limbs were longer than its forelimbs, paleontologists think Scutellosaurus was ambidextrous, posture-wise: it probably stayed on all fours while eating, but broke into a two-legged gait when escaping predators.
