Herrerasaurus

Herrerasaurus was about 6 metres (20 feet) long and weighed around 350 kilograms (770 pounds). Smaller specimens were about 4.5 metres (15 feet) long and weighed about 200 kilograms (440 pounds).4

Herrerasaurus was a carnivore, meaning it ate meat. It had large serrated teeth for biting and eating flesh, and sharp claws for grasping prey.4

Herrerasaurus lived during the Late Triassic period, about 231 to 228 million years ago, during the Carnian age. That's very early in dinosaur history.4

Herrerasaurus fossils have been found in the Ischigualasto Formation in northwestern Argentina, South America. The first specimen was discovered in 1958 by a rancher named Victorino Herrera.4

Yes, Herrerasaurus is considered an early dinosaur. For many years scientists debated whether it was a true dinosaur, but now most agree it was an early saurischian dinosaur, possibly a primitive theropod.4

Herrerasaurus was likely a swift runner. It had strong hind limbs with short thighs and long feet, and a stiff tail for balance, all adaptations for speed.4

The sources do not mention feathers on Herrerasaurus. It lived very early in dinosaur history, and no feather fossils have been found with it.4

Herrerasaurus is important because it is one of the earliest known dinosaurs. Its fossils help scientists understand the early evolution of dinosaurs and what the common ancestor of all dinosaurs might have looked like.41