Thecodontosaurus

What it was like

Thecodontosaurus was a small plant eater about 2.5 meters (8 feet) long, an early member of the long-necked line that later produced the giant sauropods. It had a small head, a long neck and tail, and mostly walked on its hind legs.

Its name comes from its teeth, which sat in sockets in the jaw, and many of them had jagged edges for slicing plants.

Its world

It lived in the Late Triassic in what is now England. Many of its bones come from cracks and caves in older limestone, which filled with sediment and bones in its time, perhaps on small islands.

How it was found

Riley and Stutchbury named Thecodontosaurus in 1836, making it one of the very first dinosaurs ever named. Several species were later added to the genus, but only the first is still accepted.