Thescelosaurus

Image Use

Thescelosaurus was a small dinosaur living near the end of the Age of Dinosaurs. Its run-of-the-mill appearance assured it a position of relative obscurity until a specimen nicknamed "Willo" brought the genus to prominence. Preserved in the stone within Willo's chest cavity is a feature some scientists have interpreted as the imprint of a four-chambered heart. Since birds and mammals also have four-chambered hearts this discovery, if confirmed, would support the view of dinosaurs as active, warm-blooded creatures.

In hindsight, the decades-old name of this animal may be appropriate: Thescelosaurus, (Greek theskelos="marvelous", sauros="lizard") the Marvelous Lizard!

Genus Name: Thescelosaurus ("wonderful lizard")
Type Species: * T. neglectus (Gilmore, 1913)
Length: 13 feet (4 meters)
Weight: 1/3 ton
Time: 72-66 million years ago (Late Cretaceous)

Place:	Colorado, Montana, S. Dakota, Wyoming,
	Alberta, Saskatchewan

Diet: plant-eater (herbivore)