**Wannanosaurus: A Little Dinosaur from China**
Wannanosaurus, which means “Wannan lizard,” is a type of dinosaur that lived about 70 million years ago during the late Cretaceous period.
It was discovered in Anhui, China, and the first description of this dinosaur was made by a scientist named Hou Lian-Hai in 1977.
**What Do We Know About Its Fossils?**
The remains of Wannanosaurus were found as a partial skeleton. This included a part of its skull, lower jaw, thigh bone (called a femur), shin bone (tibia), part of a rib, and some other fragments. Even though it was a small dinosaur, it is thought to have been fully grown when it died.
The skull of Wannanosaurus is flat and has large openings, which is why it is considered a primitive type among its relatives, the pachycephalosaurs.
**Size and Diet**
Wannanosaurus was quite small, with a thigh bone that was only about 8 centimeters long. This suggests it was about 60 centimeters long from head to tail. It likely had a plant-based (herbivorous) diet, but it might have also eaten some insects.
In summary, Wannanosaurus gives us a clear picture of a small dinosaur that lived in the forests of ancient China, munching on plants and possibly insects. Its unique features help scientists learn more about the diverse world of dinosaurs.