Nanosaurus
(Redirected from Othnielia)
Nanosaurus ("small or dwarf lizard") was an ornithopod dinosaur that measured about 4 ft (1.1 m) long, weighing about 50 pounds (22.5 kg). Nanosaurus had a horny beak and a small skull with self-sharpening cheek teeth. Nanosaurus may have had cheek pouches.
| Nanosaurus | |
|---|---|
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| Reconstructed skeleton cast, Dinosaur Journey Museum | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Ornithischia |
| Clade: | Genasauria |
| Clade: | Neornithischia |
| Family: | Nanosauridae Marsh, 1877b |
| Genus: | Nanosaurus Marsh, 1877a |
| Species: | N. agilis
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| Binomial name | |
| Nanosaurus agilis Marsh, 1877
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| Synonyms | |
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Genus synonymy
Species synonymy
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This plant eater was bipedal (walked on two legs). It had thin legs and a stiffened tail that gave it speed and agility. It had five-fingered hands and four-toed feet, all clawed. It had large eyes and short arms. Nanosaurus resembled Hypsilophodon. Its fossils (two partial skeletons and teeth) were found in Colorado and Utah in rocks of the Late Jurassic age.