Transylvanosaurus

Say it: trans-SIL-van-oh-SORE-us

Name means: “lizard from across the forest”1

Ate: PlantsBeaked plant-eatersLate Cretaceous

Transylvanosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived on an island in what is now Romania. It had a wide, flat head and walked on two legs, munching on tough plants with its beak. It was about the size of a large dog, but don't worry, it wouldn't hurt you!1 4

Lived

72 to 66 million years ago4

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Bărbat River Valley, Hațeg Basin, Romania1 4

Food

Plants4 1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

cool stuff

Fun facts

Transylvanosaurus had an unusually wide and flat skull, which is why its species name means 'flat head'.1

It lived on an island called Hațeg Island, where many dinosaurs were smaller than their mainland relatives, a phenomenon called insular dwarfism.1

The only known fossil is a partial skull, including the braincase and the bones of the top of the head.1

Scientists think it was closely related to Rhabdodon, a dinosaur from southern France, which suggests these dinosaurs could cross shallow seas.2

It lived during the Maastrichtian age, about 72 to 66 million years ago, right before the dinosaurs went extinct.4

AI-made picture of Transylvanosaurus — An AI-made picture of how Transylvanosaurus 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 Transylvanosaurus

?How big was Transylvanosaurus?

It was about the size of a large dog or a man, roughly 2 metres long. This small size is due to insular dwarfism, because it lived on an island with limited food.3

?What did Transylvanosaurus eat?

It was a herbivore, meaning it ate plants. It used its beak to munch on tough plants that grew on its island home.3

?Could Transylvanosaurus swim?

Scientists think it might have been able to swim, because its closest relatives lived in France and it may have crossed shallow seas to reach its island. Most reptiles can swim from birth.3

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Myth buster

Myth: Some people think Transylvanosaurus was a meat-eater because of its scary name.

Truth: Actually, it was a plant-eater, using its beak to crop plants, as shown by its teeth and skull shape.4

For dino experts

Scientific name: Transylvanosaurus
Named by: Augustin et al. 20224
Group: Beaked plant-eaters
Family / clade: Rhabdodontomorpha4
Classification: Ornithischia > Ornithopoda > Iguanodontia4
Age of the rocks: 72 to 66 million years (Maastrichtian)4
Rock formations: Pui Beds4
Countries: Romania4
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database4
Discovery: The fossil was found in 2007 in the Bărbat River Valley in Romania, and it was named in 2022 by Augustin and colleagues.1
Still debated: Scientists are still debating exactly how Transylvanosaurus is related to other rhabdodontid dinosaurs, and whether it could swim between islands.2

Where the facts come from

Transylvanosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
A New Ornithopod Dinosaur, Transylvanosaurus platycephalus gen. et sp. nov. (Dinosauria: Ornithischia), from the Upper Cretaceous of the Haţeg Basin, Romania (bioone.org)
Dinosaur with strange head lived on an island of miniature creatures - BBC Newsround (bbc.co.uk)
Transylvanosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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