10 Lesser Known Dinosaur Species By Sunil Tanna At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

As most people know, there were many different dinosaur species. Some such as Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus Rex, are extremely well-known and are recognized even by people who do not have much interest in dinosaurs. There are also many lesser known types of dinosaur that are also interesting. In this article we will review some of these:

1. Baryonyx was a carnivore that lived during early Cretaceous period, about 125 million years ago. For a long time, it was the only dinosaur known to have eaten fish (fossilized fish remains have been found in its stomach). Baryonyx has many unusual features, including a very narrow skull filled with many small pointed teeth (far more teeth than its theropod relatives), a long flexible neck, and a huge hooked claw that was attached to its front or rear feet (it is not known which).

2. Camptosaurus was a herbivore (plant-eater) with long hind legs with 3 hoofed toes, and much shorter arms. Camptosaurus was able to work on two or four legs, but probably mostly walked on four legs. When it did walk on four legs, Camptosaurus would have arched its back, and its name, which was chosen by Othniel C. Marsh means "bent lizard".

3. Ceratosaurus was a large carnivore (meat-eater) which can be recognized by the short horn on its snout, and its four-fingered hands (a primitive configuration).

4. Heterodontosaurus was a small, 3 feet (1 metre) long, herbivore (plant-eater) that lived over 200 million years ago. Heterodontosaurus is noteable for having three kinds of teeth (most dinosaurs and reptiles only have one), and for having five-fingered hands with two opposable "thumbs".

5. Kentrosaurus was a slow-moving herbivore (plant-eater). Its back was covered by a double row of bony triangular plates, while its tail was covered with pairs of long sharp spikes.

6. Massospondylus was a herbivore (plant-eater) with a tiny head on the end of long flexible neck. Its hands had five fingers, and could be used for both walking and grasping, and its "thumbs" were each equipped with a large claw.

7. Ouranosaurus was a large plant-eating dinosaur that had a massive fin on its back. The fin was probably used for temperature control: the animal could face it towards or away from the sun, depending on whether it needed to heat up or cool down.

8. Pachycephalosaurus was a large plant-eating dinosaur that was one of the last dinosaurs to die out. It is noteable for having a large bony dome on its head, which was probably using in butting contests with other animals.

9. Styracosaurus is a relative of the more familiar Triceratops. Styracosaurus had a single horn on its snout, and spikes around the bony frill which protected its neck.

10. Troodon was a carnivore (meat-eater) that was one of the last dinosaurs to go extinct. It was one of the cleverest dinosaurs to have ever lived, and was probably about as smart as a modern bird.

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