Camptosaurus is an extinct type of dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic period around 156 to 146 million years ago. This dinosaur was mainly found in western North America and parts of Europe. The name Camptosaurus means “flexible lizard” in Greek, indicating some of its unique physical features.
**Discovery History**
The first remains of Camptosaurus were discovered in 1879 by William Harlow Reed in Wyoming. A scientist named Othniel Charles Marsh named it Camptonotus at first, but later changed it to Camptosaurus in 1885 because the first name was already used for something else.
Marsh later named Camptosaurus dispar as the main species after receiving more fossils. Over the years, other species were discovered and named, but many were later reclassified as different or invalid due to new findings.
**Physical Description**
Camptosaurus was a sturdy dinosaur with strong hind limbs and broad feet. This dinosaur was about 5 to 6 meters long, which is about the size of a small car, and weighed between 500 to 1,000 kilograms, similar to a large cow.
Camptosaurus had a triangular skull with a beak, which helped it eat tough plants. Its teeth were closely packed, indicating it primarily ate hard vegetation.
**Classification**
Camptosaurus belongs to a family called Camptosauridae. Modern studies show that it is closely related to other dinosaurs like iguanodontids, which were large, plant-eating dinosaurs.
**Behavior and Biology**
Based on the study of similar dinosaurs, Camptosaurus could potentially run at speeds of about 25 kilometers per hour (15 miles per hour). Fossils of small Camptosaurus embryos have also been found, giving scientists more insight into their early life.
Overall, Camptosaurus is an important part of dinosaur history, helping us understand the diversity and characteristics of plant-eating dinosaurs in the Jurassic period.