Herrerasaurus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Herrerasaurus Temporal range: Upper Triassic |
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| Illustration of Herrerasaurus | |
| Conservation status | |
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Fossil
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Superorder: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | Theropoda? |
| Family: | Herrerasauridae |
| Genus: | Herrerasaurus Reig, 1963 |
| Species: | H. ischigualastensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis Reig, 1963 |
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| Synonyms | |
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Ischisaurus Reig, 1963 |
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Herrerasaurus (meaning "Herrera's lizard") was one of the earliest dinosaurs. It walked on two long legs and had sharp teeth. The arms were short and the fingers had sharp claws.
Description [change]
The first Herrerasaurus fossil was found in 1958 by Don Victorino Herrera, a local rancher. Three partial skeletons have been found. The first Herrerasaurus skull wasn't found until 1988. Fossils have been found in the Ishigualasto region, San Juan Province, northwestern Argentina, South America.
