Leaellynasaura

Leaellynasaura lived inside the Antarctic Circle during the Early Cretaceous, about 118 to 110 million years ago, when the climate was warmer than today.1

Its tail was extremely long, about three times the length of the rest of its body, and had more tail bones than most other plant-eating dinosaurs.1

It had enlarged eye sockets and large optic lobes in its brain, which helped it see in the dim light of polar winters.21

Bone growth lines show that Leaellynasaura grew continuously all year, meaning it did not hibernate or slow down much during the cold, dark winter.2

It may have lived in small herds or flocks, and dinosaur burrows found in Victoria suggest some small ornithopods might have sheltered underground in the coldest months.2

Its teeth had five ridges on each side, fewer than other small Victorian ornithopods like Qantassaurus and Atlascopcosaurus, which had at least eight.2