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AGILISAURUS
(aj-i-li-sore-us)
meaning: "Agile lizard"
Agilisaurus
Named By: Peng Guangzhou in 1990
Time Period: Middle Jurassic, 168-161 Ma
Location: China, Sichuan Province
Size: 1.2 meters long
Diet: unavailable
Fossil(s): One almost complete specimen, parts of the left fore and hind limbs are missing
Classification: | Chordata | Reptilia | Dinosauria | Ornithischia |
About

Agilisaurus ('agile lizard') is a genus of ornithischian dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic Period of what is now eastern Asia. The name is derived from the Latin "agilis" meaning 'agile' and the Greek "sauros" meaning 'lizard', and refers to the agility suggested by its lightweight skeleton and long legs. Its tibia (lower leg bone) 207.0 mm in length, was longer than its femur (upper leg bone) 199.0 mm in length, which indicates that it was an extremely fast bipedal runner, using its long tail for balance, although it may have walked on all fours when browsing for food. It was a small herbivore, about 2 meters (6.5 feet) in length, and like all ornithischians, it had a beak-like structure on the ends of both upper and lower jaws to help it crop plant material.

Read more about Agilisaurus at Wikipedia
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