Fruitadens: Research Database
Reptilia (Ornithischia: Heterodontosauridae) · Late Jurassic (~150 MYA) · North America — USA (Colorado)
Research Note: Fruitadens was a small heterodontosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of Colorado, USA — one of the smallest known ornithischian dinosaurs, providing important data on body size evolution and ecological diversity in the Jurassic.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pol & Rauhut 2011: Fruitadens, a new heterodontosaurid from the Jurassic of Colorado Naturwissenschaften | Confirmed | A | 2011 | Fossil | Pol & Rauhut, Naturwissenschaften | Taxonomy |
Butler & Porro 2012: New data on Fruitadens and heterodontosaurid ecology PLoS ONE | Confirmed | B | 2012 | Fossil | Butler & Porro, PLoS ONE | Ecology |
What We Still Do Not Know About Fruitadens
- Complete skeletal morphology.
- Growth series.
- Social behavior.
In Depth
With a weight estimate of 0.5-0.75 kilos, Fruitadens is by far one of the smallest known dinosaurs. Recovered specimens are thought to represent juveniles and sub adults that are almost fully grown. In appearance Fruitadens is considered to have been similar to Heterodontosaurus, although it may have been closer to Echinodon and Tianyulong in size, and is also nearer to them than it is to Heterodontosaurus in the fossil record.
The lightweight build of Fruitadens means that it would have been a very agile runner, easily able to navigate the forest floor while maintaining running speed. The teeth and close association with other heterodontosaurids has brought the suggestion that Fruitadens was an omnivore.
Further Reading
– A new Upper Jurassic heterodontosaurid from North America: lower limits of ornithischian dinosaur body size inferred from North America. – Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 277:375-381. – R. J. Butler, P. M. Galton, L. B. Porro, L. M. Chiappe, D. M. Henderson & G. M. Erickson – 2010. – Anatomy and Cranial Functional Morphology of the Small-Bodied Dinosaur Fruitadens haagarorum from the Upper Jurassic of the USA. – PLoS ONE 7 (4): e31556. – R. J. Butler, L. B. Porro, P. M. Galton & L. M. Chiappe (A. A. Farke, ed)- 2012.
