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Hypsilophodon

Say it: hip-sih-LOH-foh-don

Name means: “Hypsilophus-tooth, named after a lizard called Hypsilophus”1

Ate: PlantsBeaked plant-eatersLate Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Hypsilophodon was a tiny, speedy plant-eater that sprinted through the forests of Early Cretaceous England. It had a sharp beak like a parrot and a long stiff tail to help it balance while running.1 2

Lived

155 to 120 million years ago3

Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Isle of Wight, England, United Kingdom1 2

Food

Plants1 2

Length

1.5 to 2 m1 2

Weight

20 kg1 2

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

as long as 4 house cats nose to tailas long as 11 bananas end to endas heavy as 5 house catsas heavy as 4 watermelons

How big was Hypsilophodon compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Hypsilophodon had five fingers on each hand, and one of them was opposable, like a thumb, so it could grasp branches and food.1

Its tail was stiffened by bony tendons, which helped it keep balance while running fast on two legs.1

Its teeth were self-sharpening: the upper and lower teeth rubbed together as it chewed, keeping them sharp.1

Hypsilophodon probably had cheeks, which helped it hold and chew food, just like modern plant-eaters.1 2

All the true Hypsilophodon fossils come from a single layer of rock called the Hypsilophodon Bed, on the Isle of Wight.1

It lived about 126 million years ago, during the Early Cretaceous period.1 2

AI-made picture of Hypsilophodon — An AI-made picture of how Hypsilophodon might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Hypsilophodon

?How big was Hypsilophodon?

It was about 1.5 to 2 metres (5 to 6.5 feet) long and weighed around 20 kilograms (44 pounds).1 2

?What did Hypsilophodon eat?

It was a herbivore, eating low-growing plants like young shoots and roots. It used its sharp beak to clip vegetation and probably had cheeks to help chew.2 1

?Could Hypsilophodon climb trees?

No, scientists used to think it climbed trees, but we now know it lived on the ground and was a fast runner.2 1

?How fast could Hypsilophodon run?

It was built for running with long legs, a stiff tail for balance, and a light body, but no exact speed is known.2 1

?Did Hypsilophodon have feathers?

No, there is no evidence that Hypsilophodon had feathers. It was a small ornithischian dinosaur with scaly skin.1

?Where did Hypsilophodon live?

It lived in what is now England, specifically on the Isle of Wight, during the Early Cretaceous period about 126 million years ago.2 1

?Was Hypsilophodon bigger than a chicken?

Yes, it was about the size of a large turkey or a small deer, much bigger than a chicken.2

?Did Hypsilophodon live in groups?

Yes, several fossils were found together, so some experts think it lived in groups, like deer.2

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Myth buster

Myth: Some people thought Hypsilophodon lived in trees, like a climbing dinosaur.

Truth: Scientists now know it lived on the ground and was built for running, not climbing.2

For dino experts

Scientific name: Hypsilophodon
Named by: Huxley 18703
Group: Beaked plant-eaters
Family / clade: Hypsilophodontidae3
Classification: Ornithischia > Ornithopoda3
Age of the rocks: 155 to 120 million years (Kimmeridgian / Aptian)3
Rock formations: Wessex, Vectis, Artoles3
Countries: United Kingdom, Spain, Romania, Japan, Portugal3
Fossil records: 10 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: The first fossils were found in 1849 on the Isle of Wight, but they were thought to be from a young Iguanodon. In 1869, Thomas Henry Huxley realized it was a new dinosaur and named it Hypsilophodon foxii.1
Still debated: Scientists are not sure exactly how Hypsilophodon is related to other plant-eating dinosaurs. Some think it belongs in Ornithopoda, but recent studies question that.1

Where the facts come from

Hypsilophodon (en.wikipedia.org)
Hypsilophodon | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Hypsilophodon in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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