Lesothosaurus
The Lesothosaure (“lizard of Lesotho”) is small a 90-100 cm long biped dinosaur and high 30 cm discovered in the geological layers of the higher Trias (- 200/-190 million years) in Southern Africa. It belongs to a family of dinosaurs ornithopodes (“with feet of birds”) primitive known under the name of Fabrosauridae .
Its skeleton is characterized by a tail and rear limbs frayed, which shows an adaptation to the race. Contrary its relatively small forelimbs were to undoubtedly help it only to seize the plants of which it was nourished.
Indeed, this animal was Herbivore as its teeth suggest it (it could on the occasion supplement its food mode by insects and small pieces of meat). Its small, foliaceous teeth (in the shape of sheets) and spaced well, resemble those of a current reptile, the terrestrial iguana of the Galapagos (kind Conolophus ) which nourishes cactus and small animals. Just like this animal, Lesothosaurus was to make use of its teeth only to tear and reduce in smaller pieces of the plants coriaces before swallowing them (without the mastiquer however because its tooth was not made for that and in any event it did not have cheeks).
The presence of a small opening in front of the eyes could correspond to the existence of a gland with salt. What reinforces the idea that Lesothosaurus could live in an arid environment. The paleontologists even think that it been able estiver during the driest period because one would have found two skeletons wound into a ball together with worn teeth scattered around them (what seems to indicate that their teeth were replaced during this period). Perhaps it had also a lifestyle comparable with that of the African gazelles, grazing the plants while being with the aguets and not being able to count (in the absence of any means of defense) only on its speed and its agility with the race to escape predatory from Sorted which were the Thécodontosaurus and some Théropode S.
Lesothosaurus is regarded as a primitive ornithopode. It is one of the very first dinosaurs. More advanced and specialized kinds such as Heterodontosaurus (which has more complex teeth) and Scutellosaurus (equipped with an osseous armor) succeeded to him a little later at the beginning of the Jurassic era. ----