Valdosaurus is a type of dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, around 140 to 121 million years ago. Its name means “Weald Lizard,” and it was a bipedal herbivore, which means it walked on two legs and mainly ate plants. You can find fossils of Valdosaurus on the Isle of Wight in England, and possibly in Spain and Romania.
The story of Valdosaurus begins in the 19th century when a Reverend named William Darwin Fox discovered some small thighbones on the Isle of Wight. At first, these bones were thought to belong to another dinosaur called Iguanodon. However, in 1975, a scientist named Peter Galton recognized these bones as belonging to a new species and named it Dryosaurus canaliculatus. The name “canaliculatus” comes from Latin, meaning “with a small channel,” which refers to a groove found on the thighbone.
In 1977, Galton created a new genus for these bones and named it Valdosaurus, making the species name V. canaliculatus. In 1998, another name for Valdosaurus, called V. dextrapoda, was mistakenly reported, but it wasn’t a valid name and hasn’t been supported in science.
In 2012, a new and more complete specimen of Valdosaurus was found, which was described in 2016. This specimen provided valuable information and suggested that Valdosaurus was about 4 to 5 meters long, or around 13 to 16 feet.
In terms of classification, Valdosaurus is part of a family called Dryosauridae. Initially, it was thought to be categorized with the Hypsilophodontidae, but this larger group is no longer recognized as valid.
Valdosaurus was mainly found in England, specifically in rock formations created millions of years ago. It’s believed to have lived in environments where other dinosaurs lived alongside it. Historical records of Valdosaurus outside of England are uncertain, as many fossils previously thought to belong to it have been re-evaluated.
Overall, Valdosaurus is an important dinosaur that helps us understand the diversity of life in the Cretaceous period. Its fossils contribute to our knowledge of how these creatures lived and thrived on Earth long ago.