Trinisaura

Tree-ne-sore-rah.
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John Stewart

Paleoecologist

John Stewart is a distinguished paleoecologist whose work has significantly advanced our understanding of prehistoric ecosystems. With over two decades dedicated to unearthing fossils across Asia and Africa

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Name

Trinisaura.

Phonetic

Tree-ne-sore-rah.

Named By

Rodolfo A.‭ ‬Coria,‭ ‬Juan J.‭ ‬Moly,‭ ‬Marcelo Reguero,‭ ‬Sergio Santillana‭ & ‬Sergio Marenssi‭ ‬-‭ ‬2013.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Ornithischia,‭ ‬Ornithopoda.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

T.‭ ‬santamartaensis‭

Size

About‭ ‬1.5‭ ‬meters long,‭ ‬but possibly larger when fully grown.

Known locations

Antarctica,‭ ‬James Ross Island‭ ‬-‭ ‬Snow Hill Formation.

Time Period

Campanian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial post cranial skeleton,‭ ‬believed to have been from a sub adult.

In Depth

       Trinisaura was a fairly small ornithopod dinosaur that lived in Antarctica back before it became covered by snow and ice.‭ ‬Not that much can be inferred about the lifestyle of Trinisaura due to lack of more complete remains,‭ ‬but as a small ornithopod it probably roamed around‭ ‬on just its rear legs as it browsed upon vegetation,‭ ‬while relying upon speed and agility to escape predators.‭ ‬Trinisaura probably shared its habitat with the armoured nodosaur Antarctopelta which is also known from the same approximate time and area.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new ornithopod‭ (‬Dinosauria‭; ‬Ornithischia‭) ‬from Antarctica,‭ ‬Rodolfo A.‭ ‬Coria,‭ ‬Juan J.‭ ‬Moly,‭ ‬Marcelo Reguero,‭ ‬Sergio Santillana‭ & ‬Sergio Marenssi‭ ‬-‭ ‬2013.

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