Plateosaurus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Plateosaurus | |
|---|---|
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| A Plateosaurus sketch by Tim Bekaert | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Superorder: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | Sauropodomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Prosauropoda |
| Family: | Plateosauridae |
| Genus: | Plateosaurus Meyer, 1837 |
Plateosaurus (meaning 'flat lizard') is a genus of plateosaurid prosauropod dinosaurs. They lived during the Norian and Rhaetian stages of the Upper Triassic period, around 216 to 199 million years ago in what is now Europe.
The Plateosaurus was the first long-necked plant eater in the Triassic. An adult Plateosaurus can weigh up to 1,500 pounds and 27 feet long. They used both hands to pull leaves off trees, but since they had weak teeth, they used their sharp thumb claws to defense themselves against predators.[1]
References [change]
- ↑ Cole, Joanne; Bruce Degen (2001). Magic School Bus, Insect Invaders. United States of America: Scholastic Inc.. pp. 21. ISBN 0-439-31432-1.
