Mussaurus
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| Mussasaurus Fossil range: Late Triassic |
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| Mussaurus patagonicus Bonaparte & Vince, 1979 |
Mussaurus (meaning "mouse lizard") was a genus of plant-eating dinosaur known from 20 to 37 cm-long (8 to 15 in) fossilized juvenile and infant skeletons, which are among the smallest dinosaur skeletons known. Mussaurus lived in Argentina during from the Late Triassic Period, about 215 million years ago. The infant skeleton was small, about the size of a small lizard.
The juveniles had short heads and necks, long tails, and large eye sockets. Adults had longer necks, and probably reached 5 m (16 ft) in length, and weighed 120 kg (260 lb).
As Mussaurus is only known from juvenile specimens, Coloradisaurus is believed by some to be an adult Mussaurus[citation needed].
[edit] Mussaurus in popular culture
Mussaurus makes a brief appearance in The Lost World by Michael Crichton.
[edit] External links
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