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Troodon formosus (Joseph Leidy,
1856; Sauvage, 1876) |
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Name Means: |
"Tooth that wounds" |
Length: |
6 feet (3 m) |
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Pronounced: |
True-don |
Weight: |
110 pounds (50 kilos) |
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When it lived: |
Late Cretaceous - 67 MYA |
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Where found: |
Montana, USA; Alberta, Canada |
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Troodon may have been the smartest of all
the dinosaurs. It had a very large brain when compared to
its overall body size, which would have given it huge hunting
advantage. It also had large eyes, long legs for speedy pursuit of
prey, and sharp teeth.
Troodon is one of the most well known dinosaurs, with
over 20 known specimens, including an egg with a Troodon embryo
inside. It was actually one of the first North American dinosaurs to
be named, originally described in 1856. However, the fragmentary
remains were attributed to a number of dinosaurs before the original
genus became accepted. It wasn't until Dr. Dale Russell described a
fairly complete specimen that the pieces fell into place. Troodon is also used as evidence in the bird/dinosaur debate, as
it shares a number of common characteristics with birds.
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See: Feathered
Dinosaurs / Troodon |
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Edugraphics.Net | Feenixx Publishing |
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