Leaellynasaura

dinosaur · australia · early cretaceous · small herbivore

Named after a girl. Leaellynasaura was named after Leaellyn Rich, the daughter of Australian paleontologists Tom Rich and Patricia Vickers-Rich who discovered it in 1989. It's one of the few dinosaurs named after a real person.

Found in Australia. This dinosaur was discovered at Dinosaur Cove in Australia, making it an important find for understanding what dinosaurs lived on the Australian continent during the Early Cretaceous period.

Tiny plant eater. Leaellynasaura was a small herbivorous dinosaur that munched on plants millions of years ago. Its small size made it different from the giant long-necked dinosaurs many people imagine.

Ancient timing. This dinosaur lived between 118 and 110 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous, a time when Australia was still connected to other continents in the supercontinent Gondwana.

Friendship in the name. The species name 'amicagraphica' means 'friend writing' and honors the Friends of the Museum of Victoria and National Geographic Society for supporting Australian dinosaur research.