Heterodontosaurus tucki

A study of a tiny little skull of a juvenile Heterodontosaurus discovered in a museum drawer has indicated that this animal was probably omnivorous, feeding both on plants and small animals such as insects.

Name

Heterodontosaurus tucki

Authority

Crompton and Charig, 1962

Meaning of generic name

Different toothed lizard

Size

Length: 1 m

Remains

Complete articulated skeleton

Age and Distribution

Horizon: Upper Eliott Formation, Lower Jurassic (Hettangian)

Locality: District of Herschel, Cape province, South Africa

Classification

Dinosauria Ornithischia Heterodontosauridae

Further Reading

A. W. Crompton and A. J. Charig. 1962. A new ornithischian from the Upper Triassic of South Africa. Nature 196:1074-1077

R. J. Butler, L. B. Porro, and D. B. Norman. 2008. A juvenile skull of the primitive ornithischian dinosaur Heterodontosaurus tucki from the 'Stormberg' of southern Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28(3):700-711

Synonyms

Lycorhinus tucki

Images by Tobu Namura (click to enlarge)

"This is my third version of this animal. I've added a fur as the discovery of the related Tianyulong suggests it was covered with."

earlier version: