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Scutellosaurus

By Bob Strauss, About.com

Scutellosaurus (Wikimedia Commons)

Name:

Scutellosaurus (Greek for "little shield lizard"); pronounced SKOO-tell-oh-SORE-us

Habitat:

Woodlands of southern North America

Historical Period:

Early Jurassic (200-195 million years ago)

Size and Weight:

About 4 feet long and 25 pounds

Diet:

Plants

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Small size; long tail; bony studs on back

About 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.

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