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ZoomDinosaurs.com
ALL ABOUT DINOSAURS!
What is a Dinosaur? Dino Info Pages Dinosaur Coloring Print-outs Name That Dino Biggest, Smallest, Oldest,... Evolution of Dinosaurs Dinos and Birds Dino Myths

DRYOSAURUS
Dryosaurus Go to a Dryosaurus Brief Fact Sheet
DRYOSAURUS, Meaning "Oak tree lizard"
  • A plant-eating Ornithopod
  • Horny beak and a toothed jaw
  • Ran fast (on two legs)
  • A stiff tail for balance when running

ANATOMY
DryosaurusDryosaurus was about 10 feet (3 m) long, 5 feet (1.7 m) tall at the hips, and weighed about 170-200 pounds (77-90 kg). It had large eyes, long, thin legs with three toes, much shorter arms with five long fingers, a horny beak, a toothless upper front jaw, and self-sharpening cheek teeth. It may have stored food in its cheeks. It had a long neck and a stiff tail used for balance.

LOCOMOTION
Dryosaurus was a fast, agile, bi-pedal (two-legged) runner; its back legs were long, strong, and thin. It had a stiffened tail that helped it balance when running. Running must have been its main defense against predators like Allosaurus and other predators.

CLASSIFICATION
Dryosaurus was an herbivorous ornithischian dinosaur, belonging to the Suborder Ornithopoda, and Family Hypsilophodontidae (gazelle-like, herbivorous, herding dinosaurs which included Hypsilophodon, Othnielia, Tenotosaurus, Parksosaurus, and Thescelosaurus). The type species is D. altus.

WHEN DRYOSAURUS LIVED
Dryosaurus lived in lush forest during the late Jurassic period to the late Jurassic Period, about 156 to 145 million years ago. Its contemporaries were Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus, Coelurus, Allosaurus, Stegosaurus, and Ceratosaurus.

BEHAVIOR
Dryosaurus laid eggs and may have cared for their young for at least a little while. This is evidenced by eggs found carefully placed in other Hypsilophodontid nests. It may have travelled in herds.

INTELLIGENCE
Dryosaurus was an ornithopod, whose intelligence (as measured by its relative brain to body weight, or EQ) was midway among the dinosaurs.

EQ


DIET
This horny beaked dinosaur was an herbivore (it ate only plants) that lived in lush forest habitats. Dryosaurus may have stored food in its cheeks.

DISCOVERY OF FOSSILS
Dryosaurus was named by Othniel C. Marsh in 1894. Fossils have been found in western North America and Africa.




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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