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Bellusaurus

Dinosaur profile

Bellusaurus

HerbivoreMid JurassicSauropod

Pronunciation

Bel-lu-sore-us

Meaning

Beautiful lizard

Type

Sauropod

Length

5 meters long

Period

Mid Jurassic

Years

180-159 million years ago

Location

China

Diet

Herbivore

About Bellusaurus

Bellusaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic Period, about 150-145 million years ago. It was a small to medium-sized herbivore, with an estimated length of about 23-30 feet and a weight of about 1000-1500 pounds. Bellusaurus had a long, slender neck and a small head with a beak and small, peg-like teeth. It also had a long, whip-like tail, which it may have used as a weapon to defend itself against predators. Its body was probably covered in a layer of tough, scaly skin.

Bellusaurus was discovered in China in the 1990s, and was named by paleontologists in 1998. It is considered a relatively primitive sauropod, and is thought to be closely related to other early sauropods such as Barapasaurus and Euhelopus. Bellusaurus is known from a number of well-preserved fossil specimens, including several partial skeletons and skulls, which have helped paleontologists learn more about the anatomy and behavior of this dinosaur.

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