Leaellynasaura Leaellynasaura

"Leaellyn"

You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Leaellynasaura 5 m (16.4 ft) long
3 people holding hands
Length
5 m (16.4 ft)
Period
Early Cretaceous (118–110 Mya)
Place
Asia · Australia
Food
Herbivore
Clade
Dinosauria

Leaellynasaura (meaning “Leaellyn’s lizard”) is a genus of small herbivorous ornithischian dinosaurs from the late Aptian to early Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous, around 118-110 million years ago. It was first discovered in Dinosaur Cove, Australia. The only known species is Leaellynasaura amicagraphica. It was described in 1989, and named after Leaellyn Rich, the daughter of the Australian palaeontologist couple Tom Rich and Patricia Vickers-Rich who discovered it. The specific name, amicagraphica, translates to “friend writing” and honours both the Friends of the Museum of Victoria and the National Geographic Society for their support of Australian paleontology.

What we know

  • Named by Rich & Rich, 1989.
  • Fossils found in Asia and Australia.