Mussaurus
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Extinct (fossil)
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| Mussaurus patagonicus Bonaparte & Vince, 1979 |
Mussaurus (meaning "mouse lizard") was a genus of plant-eating dinosaur known from 18 to 37 cm-long (9 to 16 in) fossilized juvenile and infant skeletons, which are the smallest dinosaur skeletons known. Mussaurus was a very early dinosaur, dating from the Late Triassic Period about 215 million years ago. The infant skeleton was small, about the size of a small lizard.
The juveniles had short heads and necks, long tails, and large eye sockets. Adults had longer necks, and probably reached 3 m (10 ft) in length, and weighed 120 kg (260 lb).
Mussaurus is classified as a incertae sedis sauropodomorph dinosaur, and may be a prosauropod or an early sauropod. Coloradisaurus may be an adult Mussaurus.
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