Dryosaurus

Dryosaurus is a type of small, herbivorous ornithopod that lived in the late Jurassic period. Its fossils have been discovered in the western United States, and lived alongside famous dinosaurs such as Apatosaurus and Stegosaurus. The only known species are Dryosaurus altus, which was named by famous palaeontologist Othniel Charles Marsh in 1878, and the more recently named Dryosaurus elderae.

Etymology
The name Dryosaurus stems from the Greek word drys, meaning "oak tree", and the word sauros, meaning "lizard", a common word used for naming dinosaurs. The name was chosen to represent the oak leaf-shaped teeth that appear in its mouth.

Diet
Like most dinosaurs, Dryosaurus was an herbivore. The aforementioned oak leaf-shaped teeth were specialized adaptations commonly found in herbivorous dinosaurs. In addition to this, Dryosaurus had a horny beak that was used in cropping leaves from plants. It's even possible that it had cheeks that it used for storing its food!

Classification
Dryosaurus was an ornithopod ornithischian, a type of beaked plant-eating dinosaur that existed in the late Jurassic period. It appears in the family Dryosauridae, which includes other genera such as Valdosaurus, Callovosaurus and Kangnasaurus.

Fast facts

 * Special ability: Fast running
 * Description: Fast, small beaked herbivorous dinosaur from the late Jurassic period.
 * Diet: Low-growing plants
 * Weight: 170-200 pounds (77-99 kilograms)
 * Meaning of name: "oak-shaped tooth reptile"
 * Fun fact: Young Dryosaurus ' eyes were larger than the adults.
 * Classification: Ornithopoda --> Dryosauridae
 * In popular culture: The "Jurassic Park Builder" and "The Isle" games
 * Size: 9 feet long (3 meters)

Navigation
Species number: #001

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