Atlascopcosaurus

Say it like this: “AT-las-KOP-ko-SAWR-us”

Atlascopcosaurus loadsi

Atlascopcosaurus ate plants and walked on two legs. It lived in the Early Cretaceous. Bones have been found in Australia.

Quiz me on Atlascopcosaurus

When: Early Cretaceous (Barremian · Aptian · Albian) · roughly 125.8 to 100.5 million years ago
Named in: 1989 · Rich, T. H.; Vickers-Rich, P.
Hip height: Not established
Length: 3 m · 10 ft
Weight: 125 kg · 276 lb
Found in: Australia · Eumeralla
Food and walking: Herbivore · Two legs
Kind: beaked plant-eater · Ornithopod
Family branch: Elasmaria

The story in short

Atlascopcosaurus was formally named in 1989 by T. H. Rich and P. Vickers-Rich. The name honors a person tied to the fossil or its study.

Fossils referred to Atlascopcosaurus date to the Early Cretaceous (Barremian · Aptian · Albian), roughly 125.8 to 100.5 million years ago. Finds come from Australia, including the Eumeralla Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on two legs.

Published estimates put Atlascopcosaurus at a length near 3 m and a body mass around 125 kg.

On the family tree it sits in Elasmaria, among the ornithopod dinosaurs.

Close relatives

Anabisetia

Anabisetia saldiviai

Late Cretaceous (Turonian) · roughly 93.9 to 89.8 million years ago

Chakisaurus

Chakisaurus nekul

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian · Turonian) · roughly 100.5 to 89.8 million years ago

Diluvicursor

Diluvicursor pickeringi

Early Cretaceous (Albian) · roughly 113.2 to 100.5 million years ago