Fruitadens

tiny dinosaur · omnivore · Colorado · Jurassic

Teeth told the story. Fruitadens had different types of teeth in its mouth, which is how scientists knew it ate both plants and meat. Its name actually means 'Fruita teeth' after the Colorado town where its fossils were discovered.

Smaller than a cat. Young adult Fruitadens dinosaurs were only about 65 to 75 centimeters long (about the size of a house cat) and weighed less than one kilogram. This made them one of the smallest dinosaurs that ever lived.

Found in Colorado. Scientists discovered Fruitadens fossils in rocks of the Morrison Formation in Colorado, which formed during the Jurassic period millions of years ago. They found remains from at least four different individuals of various ages.

The last of its kind. Fruitadens was one of the latest-surviving heterodontosaurids, meaning it lived longer than most other dinosaurs in its family group. It represents the tail end of a dinosaur lineage that had been around for a long time.