Saltopus
Saltopus was a tiny, fast-running dinosaur relative that lived in Scotland during the Late Triassic. It was about the size of a cat and probably hopped or sprinted after insects and small prey.1
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Fun facts
Saltopus had hollow bones, just like birds and many other dinosaurs, which made it light and fast.1
The only known fossil of Saltopus was discovered in 1867 by William Taylor, but it was not named until 1910 by Friedrich von Huene.1
Saltopus had five fingers on each hand, but the fourth and fifth fingers were smaller than the others.1
Scientists are not sure if Saltopus was a true dinosaur or a very close relative. Some think it might be the closest relative of all dinosaurs.1
The fossil of Saltopus is mostly impressions and natural casts in sandstone, with very little actual bone preserved.1
Saltopus lived between 237 and 205 million years ago, during the Carnian to Norian stages of the Late Triassic.3
Most asked questions about Saltopus
?How big was Saltopus?
About 80 to 100 centimetres (31 to 39 inches) long, about the size of a domestic cat. It may have weighed around 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds).1
?Was Saltopus a dinosaur?
Scientists are not sure. It is a dinosauriform, a close relative of dinosaurs, and some studies think it might be the closest relative of true dinosaurs, while others think it was an early archosaur.1
?What did Saltopus eat?
It was a carnivore, or meat-eater, and it may have eaten mostly insects and other small prey.2
?When did Saltopus live?
It lived during the Late Triassic period, about 237 to 205 million years ago.1
?Where was Saltopus found?
Its only fossil was found in Scotland, in the Lossiemouth Sandstone Formation.1
?Why is it called Saltopus?
The name means 'hopping foot', from Latin and Greek words, because it probably hopped or jumped around.1
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For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Saltopus
- Named by
- Huene 19103
- Group
- First dinosaurs
- Family / clade
- Saurischia3
- Age of the rocks
- 237 to 206 million years (Carnian / Norian)3
- Rock formations
- Lossiemouth Sandstone3
- Countries
- United Kingdom3
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database3
- Discovery
- The only fossil of Saltopus was found in 1867 by William Taylor in Scotland. It was first thought to be another animal, but in 1910 Friedrich von Huene named it Saltopus elginensis.1
- Still debated
- Scientists still debate whether Saltopus was a true dinosaur or a dinosauriform (a close relative). Some recent studies suggest it might be one of the earliest ornithischian dinosaurs.1
Where the facts come from
- Saltopus (en.wikipedia.org)
- Saltopus Fact Sheet (enchantedlearning.com)
- Saltopus 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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