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Leaellynasaura

Dinosaur profile

Leaellynasaura

HerbivoreEarly CretaceousEuornithopod

Pronunciation

Lee-ell-lin-ah-saw-rah

Meaning

Leaellyn's lizard

Type

Euornithopod

Length

1.5 - 2 meters long

Period

Early Cretaceous

Years

115-110 million years ago

Location

Australia

Diet

Herbivore

About Leaellynasaura

Leaellynasaura is a small herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 120 million years ago. It was named after the daughter of the paleontologists who discovered the fossil remains, Leaellyn Rich. Leaellynasaura was a member of the ornithopod group of dinosaurs, which includes duck-billed dinosaurs and other bipedal herbivores. It was likely a fast runner and had a long, flexible neck and a small head with sharp teeth. Leaellynasaura lived in what is now Australia and may have had a frill or crest on its head to help regulate body temperature. It is thought to have been a social animal, living and possibly traveling in herds.

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