Back to dinosaur directory
Xixiasaurus

Dinosaur profile

Xixiasaurus

CarnivoreLate CretaceousSmall Theropod

Pronunciation

Ze-ze-ah-sore-us

Meaning

Xixia lizard

Type

Small Theropod

Length

1.5 meters long

Period

Late Cretaceous

Years

86 million years ago

Location

China

Diet

Carnivore

About Xixiasaurus

Xixiasaurus is a genus of basal sauropodomorph dinosaur that lived during the Late Triassic period in what is now China. It was a small herbivorous dinosaur, with an estimated length of about 3 meters and a weight of around 200 kilograms. Xixiasaurus had a relatively short snout and a large, triangular skull. It had a large, leaf-shaped tooth in the middle of its upper jaw, which may have been used for slicing through tough plant material. It had five toes on each foot, with the inner three toes being much shorter than the outer two. It is thought to have walked on all fours, although it may have been able to rear up on its hind legs for short periods of time. Xixiasaurus is known from several well-preserved skeletons, which have helped paleontologists learn more about the anatomy and behavior of this species.

Wikipedia image gallery

Extra reference images from Wikimedia projects. These are loaded live in your browser.

More Late Cretaceous profiles

Explore related dinosaurs with similar diet, type, period, or fossil location to Xixiasaurus.

Browse all dinosaurs