STL Science Center

STL Science Center

22 October 2014

Short and Light

Gasparinisaura was a short dinosaur at about 1.7m (5.6ft) in total length. The height of the dinosaur was probably less than that, measured at the hip. The compact body was approximately 13kg (28lbs) according to some estimates. These small measurements were made off of the light bones of the body, including the skull. The forelimbs were noticeably lighter than other members of Gasparinisaura's family tree. The pelvis is also lightweight, small, and the femur was shorter than the tibia and fibula. The quadratojugal attaches to the squamosal, a basal trait, which helped assign its place on the family tree. The gastroliths in the fossil, while not important in placing it the tree, have so far been counted at approximately 140 polished round stones that accounted for approximately 0.4% of the total weight of the dinosaur.

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