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Compsognathus Facts for Kids

Compsognathus Facts for Kids

  • Dinosaur Name: Compsognathus
  • Dinosaur Type: Theropod
  • Type Species: Compsognathus longipes
  • Total Species: 1
  • Diet: Carnivorous (Ate Meat)
  • Period: Late Jurassic
  • Description: A Small Bipedal Predator

20 Compsognathus Facts For Kids

  1. The Compsognathus was a dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic Period.
  2. Compsognathus was a small bipedal predator.
  3. The Compsognathus was carnivorous and ate other dinosaurs (meat).
  4. You pronounce the name Compsognathus by saying: “Komp-sog-NATH-us”.
  5. The meaning of the dinosaur name Compsognathus is “pretty jaw”.
  6. There is only one species of Compsognathus recognized by paleontologists.
  7. The type species for the Compsognathus is Compsognathus longipes.
  8. Fossil Collector Joseph Oberndorfer was the first person to discover a Compsognathus specimen in the 1850s.
  9. German paleontologist Johann A. Wagner was the first person to scientifically described the Compsognathus in 1859.
  10. The holotype specimen for Compsognathus is BSP AS I 563.
  11. The Compsognathus was estimated to have an average body length between 3 and 5 feet.
  12. The Compsognathus was estimated to have an average body weight between 1 and 7 pounds.
  13. The lifespan of the Compsognathus is estimated to have been up to 10 years.
  14. The running speed of the Compsognathus is estimated to have been around 40 miles per hour.
  15. The Compsognathus would use its quick running speeds to chase down and capture small vertebrates and insects.
  16. Compsognathus is one of the smallest non-avian dinosaurs to be discovered by paleontologists.
  17. Compsognathus fossil specimens have only been found in Europe (Germany and France).
  18. The Compsognathus is incorrectly called the chicken dinosaur, which was because of the small size of the German holotype specimen. The largest Compsognathus specimen found in France showed paleontologists that the German specimen was probably a juvenile.
  19. The Compsognathus lived in the Late Jurassic Period with other dinosaurs like the Archaeopteryx, Stegosaurus, and Brontosaurus.
  20. The Compsognathus is a popular dinosaur due to its appearance in many of the films in the Jurassic Park Franchise.

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Compsognathus Pictures

There is a saying that claims a picture is worth a thousand words. If that is true then the below images will help you with your research on the Compsognathus Below you will find three pictures related to the Compsognathus dinosaur. These pictures should give you a bettering understanding of the Compsognathus and what it may have looked like.

Two Compsognathuses Hunting Prey

A picture of two Compsognathuses hunting prey.

A Compsognathus Standing Up

A picture of a Compsognathus standing up.

A Compsognathus Dinosaur

A picture of a Compsognathus dinosaur.

Compsognathus Resources

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