Scutellosaurus [1] ( lat. Scutellosaurus , from lat. Scutellum - small shield and other Greek. Σαῦρος - lizard, lizard) - a genus of poultry dinosaurs from the thyroid suborder, which occupies a basal position in the suborder. The only species is Scutellosaurus lawleri [2] . The remains were found in the United States , the genus and species are described by Professor Edwin X. Colbert in 1981 .
| † Scutellosaurus |
Scutellosaurus |
| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Infraclass : | Archosauromorphs |
| No rank : | Archosauriformes |
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| International scientific name |
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Scutellosaurus , 1981 |
| Single view |
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† Scutellosaurus lawleri Colbert, 1981 |
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A relatively small dinosaur, barely reaching a length of 1.2 meters [3] . The herbivorous scutellosaurus had jaws with simple leafy teeth, somewhat similar to the teeth of a modern iguana . An interesting feature of this dinosaur is the presence of flat small guards growing from the skin of a dinosaur. This is one of the oldest dinosaurs covered with miniature armor [4] . Shields made it look like a lizard. But unlike the modern lizard, which presses the belly to the ground while running, moving its paws on the sides of the body, the scutellosaurus moved on its legs like mammals do. He could tear his forelimbs off the ground and run only on the two hind limbs, using his tail as a balancer. Clinging to the ground, the scutellosaurus showed the predator only a prickly back.
