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ZoomDinosaurs.com
ALL ABOUT DINOSAURS!
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Compsognathus
Meaning "Pretty Jaw"
Compsognathus printout

K-3 level Compsognathus Printout

Compsognathus fact sheet

ANATOMY
Compsognathus was a bird-like dinosaur that walked on two long, thin legs; it had three-toed feet. A long tail acted as a counterbalance and for stability during fast turns. It had short arms with two clawed fingers on each hand. Compsognathus had a small, pointed head with small, sharp teeth, hollow bones, and a long, flexible neck.

Compsognathus was from 28 inches-4.6 feet long (0.7-1.4 m), about 6.5 pounds (3 kg) and was about the size of a chicken. Its femur (thigh bone) was only 4. 3 inches (11 cm) long.



WHEN COMPSOGNATHUS LIVED
Compsognathus lived in the late Jurassic period, about 155 to 145 million years ago. Among the contemporaries of Compsognathus were Coelurus and Ornitholestes.

DIET
Compsognathus was a carnivore (a meat eater) that caught and ate small animals, including insects and lizards. John Ostrom found fossilized remains from a Compsognathus' stomach that contained the skeleton of the fast-running lizard Bavarisaurus.

LOCOMOTION
Compsognathus walked on two long, slender legs; it was a fast, agile dinosaur. Dinosaur speeds are estimated using their morphology (characteristics like leg length and estimated body mass) and fossilized trackways.

DISCOVERY OF FOSSILS
Compsognathus was first discovered by Dr. Oberndorfer in limestone deposits in the Riedenburg-Kelheim region of Bavaria, southern Germany in the late 1850's. It was named by Johann A. Wagner in 1859. Only two Compsognathus fossils have been found; one in Germany and one in France.

CLASSIFICATION
Compsognathus belonged to the:


COMPSOGNATHUS ACTIVITIES





Information Sheets About Dinosaurs
(and Other Prehistoric Creatures)

Just click on an animal's name to go to that information sheet. If the dinosaur you're interested in isn't here, check the Dinosaur Dictionary or the list of Dinosaur Genera. Names with an asterisk (*) were not dinosaurs.
How to write a great dinosaur report.

For dinosaur printouts, click here.

For brief dinosaur fact sheets, click here.




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