1. Early ornithopod dinosaurs
Compared with the numerous representatives of sauropod dinosaurs in the late Triassic, very few ornithischian dinosaurs were discovered at that time. They are really rare.
Skull, mandible and teeth of Heterodontosaurus
Heterodontosaurus, discovered in the late Triassic sedimentary rocks of South Africa, is the earliest ornithischian dinosaur discovered so far. At the same time, it is also the earliest representative of ornithopod dinosaurs.
Heterodontosaurus was a very small ornithischian dinosaur that walked on two hind legs. Its skull was only about 10 centimeters long. The skull has a depressed jaw joint and a separated toothless predentary in front of the lower jaw. This is the most distinctive skull feature of ornithischian dinosaurs. Heterodontosaurus had small, specialized teeth on the edges of its upper and lower jaws, apparently suitable for cutting and cracking plant foods. What is also surprising is that there is a large tooth in the front of the lower jaw of Heterodontosaurus that is similar to a mammal canine.
The body bones behind the head of Heterodontosaurus are all of the typical bird-hipped type, and the belt is no exception. The pubic bone is parallel to and connected to the ischium.
In the late Triassic, although ornithischian dinosaurs did not occupy a particularly prominent position in the entire dinosaur family, based on the body structure laid by Heterodontosaurus, ornithischian dinosaurs, including ornithischian dinosaurs, later During the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, they developed like a hundred flowers and became the most colorful branch of the dinosaur family.
2. Lesothosaurus
In the early Jurassic period 200 million years ago, the ornithopods among the ornithischian dinosaurs were also a very active dinosaur team. The Lesothosaurus found in South Africa is an important representative.
Lesotho dragon
The small and exquisite Lesotho dragon is less than 1 meter long and weighs less than 10 kilograms. There is a horny covering on the side of its mouth, which can help cut down the plants. Then, the teeth of different shapes in the mouth process the food that comes to the mouth. The teeth on both sides of the jaw are arrow-shaped, which is very suitable for Biting food.
Although Lesothosaurus is small in size, the good balance of its body structure ensures that it has the characteristics of agility. Therefore, it can still adapt well in an environment where resources are limited and predator crises are always lurking. , living.
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