Name: Micropachycephalosaurus
Pronunciation: my-crow-pack-EE-SEF-a-low-SAW-rus Translation: Tiny Thick-Headed Lizard Diet: Herbivore Height: 1- 2 feet (0.3 - 0.6 meters) Length: 2 - 3 feet (0.6 - 1 meters) Weight: 10 - 20 pounds (4.5 - 9 kilograms) Location: China Time: Cretaceous (125 - 121 Million Years Ago) |
Despite its rather small size for a dinosaur even when fully grown, Micropachycephalosaurus holds the record for the longest name of any dinosaur; that’s 23 letters long! However, despite what its name may suggest, this dinosaur was not related to the Pachycephalosaurid family that includes dinosaurs like Stegoceras, Prenocephale, and Pachycephalosaurus. More recent research done in 2008 and 2011 indicates Micropachycephalosaurus was actually a small Ceratopsian, a tiny relative of the famous horned dinosaurs such as Triceratops, Styracosaurus, and Pachyrhinosaurus.
Living in Cretaceous China, this tiny herbivore would have been on the menu for a number of Dromaeosaurid and Tyrannosaurid predators that shared its habitat. Because of this, Micropachycephalosaurus was likely an incredibly fast and agile animal, able to rapidly change direction and run at speeds of about 30 miles per hour for long distances. As it lacked the armored defenses of many of its larger relatives, being adapted to be quick and maneuverable is likely how these animals were able to survive in what was likely a very dangerous world for such a small dinosaur.
Living in Cretaceous China, this tiny herbivore would have been on the menu for a number of Dromaeosaurid and Tyrannosaurid predators that shared its habitat. Because of this, Micropachycephalosaurus was likely an incredibly fast and agile animal, able to rapidly change direction and run at speeds of about 30 miles per hour for long distances. As it lacked the armored defenses of many of its larger relatives, being adapted to be quick and maneuverable is likely how these animals were able to survive in what was likely a very dangerous world for such a small dinosaur.