Compsognathus longipes
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longipes
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(komp-sog-na-thus-)
"elegant jaw"
Describer Wagner, 1861
Also Known As --
Type of Species longipes
Order Saurischia
SubOrder Theropoda
InfraOrder --
Micro-Order --
SuperFamily --
Family Compsognathidae
SubFamily --
Size 40 inches (1 meter) long
Period Late Jurassic, 156-145 million years ago
Fossilsite Europe
Diet Carnivore
Compsognathus live during the Late Jurassic Period 156-145 million years ago in what is now Europe. Compsognathus was one of the smallest known dinosaurs, standing tall at 3 feet (1 meter). It was lightly built and a fast runner. Compsognathus had two slender but powerful legs.
Not very many specimens have been found from this dinosaur. Compsognathus shares the same locality and the same limestone deposits as the famous Archaeopteryx, and it has been sometimes confused with it. The two animals have similar sizes and skeletons. But there are some differences, one of the most obvious is that Archaeopteryx had feathers, and Compsognathus did not.
Compsognathus had a large skull that contained many sharp, curved teeth. These teeth were small and spaced apart from each other. These teeth were perfect for hunting small reptiles and insects. It had short arms that may have had two clawed fingers on each hand.
Interesting Fact [The Compsognathus specimen found in Germany by Dr. Oberndorfer in the 1850s was that of a young dinosaur. This find was the first complete dinosaur skeleton anywhere in the world]
Discovery
When Compsognathus was discovered, paleontologist Andreas Wagner did not
think it was a dinosaur because of its size. People a the time were used
to the idea that dinosaurs were large animals. Since Compsognathus was
not much bigger than a turkey, Wagner thought it was far too small to
be a dinosaur. Now we know that dinosaurs came in all sizes.
Image courtesy of Todd Marshall