Thecodontosaurus

Distribution:

They mostly lived in modern-day England, particularly in the south but some remains have also been found in France.

Time Period:

They lived during the Triassic period 252-201 million years ago. This period saw the rise of the very first dinosaurs and was the first of three periods in the Mesozoic Era which is also known as the age of reptiles.

Size:

On average these dinosaurs were 1.2 meters long, but it’s estimated that the largest of the species could have reached 2.5 meters in length (8 ft), standing 1 meter (3 ft) tall and weighing 20 kg

Diet:

They were herbivores with sharp teeth designed to chew soft vegetation.

Interesting Facts:

This was one of the first dinosaurs to be discovered and is amongst the oldest species to have been found so far. Many Thecodontosaurus fossils have been discovered and almost all their bones have been recovered except for a few fragments of their skull. For so many bones to still exist from such an early species could mean that they were a very common dinosaur at one time in the planet’s history.

They walked on their two hind legs and gave rise to the sauropods (huge, long necked, herbivores which walked on four legs) of the Jurassic period.