Leptoceratops | Facts & Information

Leptoceratops is a small theropod dinosaur that lived in the Mesozoic era, during the Upper Cretaceous Period, about 70 million years ago.

The forelimbs and hind limbs were long and muscular, perfectly adapted for quadrupedal walking, but also for bipedal walking. The fact that the hind limbs had muscular and long thighs shows that the animal had the ability to run very fast.

This benefited him against certain predators, which he could often escape by running away. The long and powerful tail helps maintain balance, but it was also a defense weapon against carnivorous dinosaurs.

When the animal wanted to reach the fruits and buds of the trees, it rose on its hind limbs, leaning on its stiff tail like a peg to reach the high crowns with its snout. The jaws were provided with small and sharp teeth, very well adapted to grind even the strongest plants.

Some researchers believed that Leptoceratops was an easy prey for large carnivores, because it had a compact body and less slender than the animals that managed to escape the fierce pursuers of those times.

The dinosaur is classified in the order Ornithischia, family Leptoceratopsidae. The species was named Leptoceratops gracilis by paleontologist Barnum Brawn.

Feeding Leptoceratops

The leptoceratops dinosaur was herbivorous and lived in wooded areas where it found food from the ambundence.