The prosauropod dinosaurs that appeared in the late Triassic period were among the first small herbivorous dinosaurs on earth. Initially, prosauropods were small reptiles, but later their close relatives, the sauropods such as Brontosaurus and Diplodocus, became giant dinosaurs with huge bodies. Angelosaurus is one of the smallest of the prosauropod dinosaurs. It is only as tall as a terrier, but its body is much longer than that of a terrier. In fact, the fossils of Angelosaurus are the first dinosaur fossils found in North America. Angelosaurus' body structure is light and its movements are agile. It can quickly escape from the prey of carnivorous dinosaurs and avoid disaster.

The head and hands of Angelosaurus

The head of Angelosaurus is very small, the neck is long, the teeth are also very small, and they are shaped like pencils. It probably feeds on shrub leaves and leaves of small trees. Angelosaurus has five toes on each foot, and the broad thumbs of its forelimbs are armed with large sharp claws. It uses these large sharp claws to hunt and fill its stomach.

Angelosaurus’ skull

The eye sockets on Angelosaurus’ skull are very large. Its teeth are rough, serrated and closely arranged, and are used for chewing rough, hard plants.

The body shape of Angelosaurus

Compared to the small head of Angelosaurus, its barrel-shaped body appears to be quite large. The same goes for most herbivorous dinosaurs. Compared with carnivores, herbivores often need larger stomachs to digest rough, hard plants.

Angelosaurus’ tail

Angelosaurus has a thick tail. The tail serves to balance the body as it runs on its hind legs. The muscles on the Angelosaurus's tail were very powerful - this can be seen from the high position of the spine and the deep rib-like bones. Perhaps Angelosaurus could frighten predators by flicking its powerful tail.

Angelosaurus’ walking

Angelosaurus has strong hind legs and strong forelimbs, and can use all four limbs when walking. When suddenly starting to run, Angelosaurus only needs to use its powerful hind legs.

Dinosaur business card

Name: Angelosaurus

Period: Late Triassic

Appearance: 2.5 meters long, 40 kilograms in weight

Genus and order: Prosaurolophus

Distribution: North America: United States.