Troodon

Distribution:

They inhabited the island continent of Laramidia. During the Cretaceous period North America was divided in two. The land to the east was called Appalachia and to the west was Laramidia.

Time Period:

Troodon lived during the Cretaceous Period around 75-71 million years ago. This period was the third and final segment of the Mesozoic Era. Until this Era all modern-day continents were fused into one super continent called Pangaea. Although it had already begun to separate during the previous periods, the Cretaceous period saw it spread across the planet’s surface. The change caused Earth’s climate to slowly cool and the continents and oceans familiar to us today first started to form. Many dinosaurs adapted to these changes well and continued to evolve. However, the period ended in the mass extinction of all dinosaurs after an asteroid hit the planet.

Size:

They were 2.4 meters (8 ft) long, 0.9 meters (3 ft) tall weighing 50 kg

Diet:

They were omnivores which fed mainly on smaller prey but also some plants, fruits, nuts and seeds.

Interesting Facts:

Troodon was one of the first dinosaurs to be discovered in America (in 1855) and it was thought to be a lizard. Its name means ‘wounding tooth’. It had an unusually large brain for a dinosaur which made it one of the most intelligent species. Although, it would only have been as clever as a chicken which was intelligent for a dinosaur. Its large eyes suggest that it hunted at night would have provided advanced binocular vision which would have helped them find their small, scurrying prey.