| Herrerasaurus | |
|---|---|
| |
| An artist's illustration of Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| clade: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | Theropoda |
| Family: | †Herrerasauridae |
| Genus: | †Herrerasaurus Reig, 1963 |
| Species: | †H. ischigualastensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis Reig, 1963 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Herrerasaurus was one of the earliest dinosaurs ever to be discovered. It had hinged jaws and it could open ]it's mouth wide to gobble up chunks of meat. It perfect serrated teeth like a saw. It also had short arm bones but it also had long hands.
Herrerasaurus means 'Herrera's Lizard' for the discoverer Don Victorino Herrera. Herrerasaurus grew to about 20 feet long, 10 feet tall, and lived in Argentina approximately 231 million years ago in the Late Triassic period. It wasn't the biggest predator of it's time although other giants were not dinosaurus. They were in fact Crocodilians. Unlike the other giant killers, Herreasaurus stood on it's hind legs. It was a very fierce predator.
Known Specimens
- The holotype specimen PVL 2566 was 3.5 meters long, and its femur measured 473 mm, which represents the largest upper leg bone found for this genus
- specimen PVL 2558a had an unknown body length; femur ~440 mm
- specimen PVL 2054 was 3.1 meters long; femur 385 mm
- specimen PVSJ 373 had an unknown body length; femur 345 mm
- specimen MLP 61-VIII-2-3 was 2.7 meters long; femur 335 mm
- specimen MACN 18.060 was 2.3 meters long; femur 286 mm; skull ~250 mm
- specimen PVSJ 53 had an unknown body length; skull 560 mm
- specimen PVSJ 407 had an unknown body length; skull 300 mm