Compsognathus
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Since it was named in the 1850's, Compsognathus has been commonly cited as one of the smallest dinosaurs, at only a couple feet long. This was before birds were widely recognized as dinosaurs and the discovery of smaller forms like Fruitadens and Yi. It was correct at the time, though, and Compsognathus is still a pretty small dinosaur - half its length is tail. Compsognathus's jaws have many small but sharp teeth. It has three-fingered hands, of which the third is rather small. At least part of its tail is scaly. The holotype fossil of Compsognathus preserves a small reptile in the gut cavity, showing this little dinosaur ate small, fast-moving vertebrates on the small tropical islands of Jurassic Europe. Compsognathus can be found in the Mesozoic Europe section. |
Scientific name Location Time Length Diet |