Aniksosaurus
Aniksosaurus was a small, fast meat-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now Argentina. It was about as long as a small car and may have hunted in groups with others of its kind.1
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Fun facts
Aniksosaurus means 'spring lizard' because it was discovered on September 21, 1995, the first day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.1
Its shin bone (tibia) was about 13% longer than its thigh bone (femur), which helped it run fast.1
Fossils of at least four Aniksosaurus individuals were found together, suggesting they may have lived in groups.1
The type specimen includes a right hind leg with the foot still attached, found in green sandstone.1
Aniksosaurus lived about 96 to 91 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period.1
Scientists think the individuals found were juveniles or sub-adults, about three years old when they died.1
Most asked questions about Aniksosaurus
?How big was Aniksosaurus?
Aniksosaurus was about 2 to 3 metres long and weighed between 35 and 65 kilograms. It stood about 70 centimetres tall at the hip.1
?Did Aniksosaurus live in groups?
Yes, scientists think Aniksosaurus may have lived in groups. Fossils of at least five individuals were found together, and studies suggest they were gregarious, especially as sub-adults.1
?What did Aniksosaurus eat?
Aniksosaurus was a meat-eating dinosaur (a theropod). It likely hunted small animals, though its exact diet is not known from fossils.1
?How fast could Aniksosaurus run?
Aniksosaurus had a shin bone 13% longer than its thigh bone, which is a sign of good running ability. Scientists think it was a fast runner, but no exact speed is known.1
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Aniksosaurus
- Named by
- Martínez and Novas 20062
- Group
- Meat-eating dinos
- Family / clade
- Compsognathidae2
- Classification
- Theropoda > Compsognathidae2
- Age of the rocks
- 100 to 90 million years (Cenomanian / Turonian)2
- Rock formations
- Bajo Barreal2
- Countries
- Argentina2
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database2
- Discovery
- Aniksosaurus was named by Rubén Dario Martínez and Fernando Emilio Novas in 2006. The first fossils were found in 1995 in the Bajo Barreal Formation of Patagonia, Argentina.1
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure exactly where Aniksosaurus fits in the dinosaur family tree. Some think it is a compsognathid, others a maniraptoromorph or a megaraptoran.1
Where the facts come from
- Aniksosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Aniksosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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