Ignavusaurus
Ignavusaurus was a small, long-necked dinosaur that lived in what is now Lesotho in Africa about 200 million years ago. It was a plant-eater and probably ran around on two legs, using its long tail for balance.1
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Fun facts
The name Ignavusaurus comes from the Latin word for 'coward' because it was found at a place called Ha Ralekoala, which means 'the place of the father of the coward'.1
The only known fossil of Ignavusaurus is a nearly complete skeleton of a baby that was less than one year old when it died.1
Its skull was broken into more than 120 pieces, but scientists were able to put it back together.1
Ignavusaurus had a long, slender neck and a long tail, just like its relatives Massospondylus and Melanorosaurus.1
Some scientists think Ignavusaurus might actually be a baby Massospondylus, because the two look very similar.1
Most asked questions about Ignavusaurus
?How big was Ignavusaurus?
About 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) long and weighed about 22.5 kilograms (50 lb). That is roughly the size of a large dog.1
?What did Ignavusaurus eat?
It was a plant-eater, or herbivore. It had a long neck to reach leaves and other plants.1
?Is Ignavusaurus a dinosaur?
Yes, it is a dinosaur. It was a basal sauropodomorph, a type of long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur.1
?Could Ignavusaurus be a baby Massospondylus?
Some scientists think so. They say the only known fossil looks very similar to a young Massospondylus, so Ignavusaurus might be the same dinosaur.1
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Ignavusaurus
- Named by
- Knoll 20102
- Group
- Long-necks
- Family / clade
- Massospondylidae2
- Classification
- Sauropodomorpha2
- Age of the rocks
- 201 to 193 million years (Hettangian / Sinemurian)2
- Rock formations
- Elliot2
- Countries
- Lesotho2
- Fossil records
- 2 in the Paleobiology Database2
- Discovery
- The fossils were found in Lesotho and described in 2010 by Spanish paleontologist F. Knoll. The skeleton was brought to the National Museum of Natural History in Paris for study.1
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure if Ignavusaurus is a separate species or just a young Massospondylus.1
Where the facts come from
- Ignavusaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Ignavusaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.
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