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Ammosaurus
Ammosaurus
("lizard
of the sand") has been recognized by
four incomplete skeletons found in
United States
and Canada regions. The first Ammosaurus skeleton
was establish in the late 1880s by a group of construction
workers in the Connecticut Valley in the US, who were
structure, a bridge at the time. The valley was once
a swamp, on which Ammosaurus would often search for
food along its banks. Other fragmental skeletons have
been found in Arizona and Nova Scotia.
hen Othniel C. Marsh first recognized Ammosaurus's remains, he confused them with those of another dinosaur, Anchisaurus. It was not until 1891 that he renamed the fossils as that of Ammosaurus. Ironically, some of the Anchisaurus leftovers were thought to be remains of prehistoric humans. Although no Ammosaurus skull has ever been found, enough fossils was found to decide that it was more closely related to Plateosaurus than Anchisaurus as previously thought.
Ammosaurus lived during the early Jurassic period, around 180 million years ago. It was a herbivore and could walk on both four or two feet, the latter undoubtably allowing it to reach higher branches. It had large claws on its hands to allow it to strip bark from trees and saplings. Compared to the relax of its body, Ammosaurus had both a long tail & neck, suggesting that it would have walked on four legs for most of its life, only on foot on two to defend itself or reach food. To defend itself, it would stand on its hind legs, slashing at its assailant with its large thumb claws on its fore legs.
Ammosaurus measured over 4.3 m (14 ft) long and stood about 1.8 m (6 ft) tall, though it would only be knee high if it was on all fours. Ammosaurus weighed around 290 kg (639 lbs), mainly due to its large body. At its largest, it would grow to the size of a small car.
