First Dinosaur For Venezuela

Published: 6th Aug 2014

The very first dinosaur to be discovered in Venezuela is also a brand new species. The fantastically named Laquintasaura venezuelae was a dog-sized dinosaur that lived 201 million years ago. This is right at the beginning of the Jurassic period just after a mass extinction that heralded the end of the Triassic.

This mainly plant eating ornithiscian dinosaur walked on two legs and was about a metre long in total.  It would have fed largely on ferns but could also have fed on insects and small creatures. Bones from four individuals were found ranging in age from 3 to 12 years.

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