Eodromaeus Temporal range: Carnian
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Restored skeleton | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Clade: | Saurischia |
Clade: | Theropoda |
Genus: | †Eodromaeus Martinez et al. 2011 |
Species: | †E. murphi
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Binomial name | |
Eodromaeus murphi Martinez et al. 2011
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Eodromaeus (meaning "dawn runner") is an extinct genus of basal theropod dinosaur from the Upper Triassic of Argentina.[1] An almost complete articulated skeleton (the bones were still mostly connected) was found in 1996.
Eodromaeus has been cited by Paul Sereno as "close to the root of the dinosaurs".[2] It is the earliest known definite theropod.
Eodromaeus was a relatively small dinosaur, with a total length of about 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) from nose to tail, and a weight of about 5 kilograms (11 lb). The trunk was long and slender. It is unknown how fast Eodromaeus could run: about 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph) has been suggested.[3] The animal was, like all early dinosaurs, bipedal. The forelimbs were much shorter than the hindlimbs, ending in hands with five digits. Digits IV and V were very reduced in size.[1]
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)