Fun Noasaurus Facts For Kids

The Noasaurus genus of dinosaur lived during the late Cretaceous period, 72 to 66 million years ago. Its remains were found in Argentina; the specimen consisted of a skull and partial skeleton. This Cretaceous dinosaur was a related member of the Theropod genus. The lizard had a distinctly curved claw, three-toed feet, short forelimbs, stronger legs, a moderately elongated snout, and a tail around 1 ft (0.3 m) in length. It was named and discovered by Bonaparte and Powell in 1980. It was carnivorous and might have had a piscivorous diet. It was oviparous and reproduced by laying eggs.

If you like reading about the Noasaurus, also check out interesting facts about other dinosaurs like the Adamantisaurus and the Spinostropheus.

How do you pronounce 'Noasaurus'?

The dinosaur name Noasaurus leali is pronounced as 'no-ah-sore-us lee-lee'. The dinosaur was named by Bonaparte and Powell. It was related to Theropods.

What type of dinosaur was a Noasaurus?

The Noasaurus dinosaur was a Theropod which was characterized by hollow bones and three-toed feet. The Noasaurus had a claw on its limbs.

In which geological period did the Noasaurus roam the Earth?

This dinosaur lived on Earth 72-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous time range which is also known as the late Campanian-Maastrichtian range.

When did they become extinct?

They became extinct during the late Cretaceous–Paleogene period mass extinction at the end of the Mesozoic era. The mass extinction took place around 66 million years ago when a large meteor or comet hit the Earth.

Where did a Noasaurus live?

The first Noasaurus fossil was discovered by Jaime Eduardo Powell and José Fernando Bonaparte in the Estancia El Brete-site in 1977. They found a skeletal fragment. The next specimen was found in the Lecho formation of the Salta province, northwestern Argentina, and its fossil consisted of a partial skeleton and skull.

What was a Noasaurus's habitat?

The exact habitat of this dinosaur is not known, but most dinosaurs lived along ancient rivers or streams and in woodlands and dense forests. The discovery of dinosaur remains in forested floodplains and densely vegetated swamps and lakes were common.

Who did a Noasaurus live with?

This genus of dinosaurs was made up of gregarious dinosaurs that probably lived in herds, but only one specimen was found alone at the site of discovery. It can be assumed that the dinosaur lived in groups since it was small in size and probably needed protection from large carnivorous dinosaurs.

How long did a Noasaurus live?

The exact age of this dinosaur species is not known and very little information is available regarding their lifespan or life cycle. Like most dinosaurs they might have had three life stages: juvenile, sub-adult, and adult, each differentiated by a change in physical and sexual characteristics.

How did they reproduce?

Very little information is available on their reproduction. They had a particular breeding season, were oviparous, and laid eggs like modern-day birds. Eggs were laid by the female and juvenile dinosaurs hatched from eggs after their incubation period.

What did a Noasaurus look like?

This northwestern Argentina dinosaur jaw held at least 11 teeth which were recurved and were serrated at the front and rear edge. They had a long neck and tail with elongated vertebrae in the neck. The structure of their vertebrae and spine was a common feature among its family. Initially, it was discovered that the dinosaur had a sickle-shaped claw on its foot. Subsequently, it was discovered that the claw belonged to the hand. Its claw was very strongly curved, had parallel base sides in top view, and a deep triangular cavity at the underside of the claw base.

How many bones did a Noasaurus have?

The exact number of bones in a Noasaurus is not known because only one specimen has been found which is also incomplete. The specimen has an incomplete skeleton and skull. They found its claw, which was a distinct feature of this dinosaur.

How did they communicate?

Like other dinosaurs, it can be assumed that the Melanorosaurus dinosaur communicated using its large body and vocalization. Dinosaurs created distinct, open-mouthed sounds and closed-mouthed sounds. Closed-mouthed sounds of a lower frequency could travel long distances, which helped them communicate with the rest of the herd or warn rivals of their territory. Their claw could also hold some significance in mating displays or rivalry.

How big was a Noasaurus?

The Noasaurus leali was a small Cretaceous period dinosaur. Its length was 9.8 ft (3 m) long and its height was 3.3 ft (1 m). They were twice the length of a wild goat and two times taller than a Labrador Retriever.

How fast could a Noasaurus move?

The exact speed of a Noasauras is not known but considering its size it was moderately fast. It would have to run from other larger carnivores as its sole defense. Dinosaur speeds are estimated using their fossilized footprints which are found under layers of earth after excavation.

How much did a Noasaurus weigh?

This dinosaur was smaller than humans and was two times lighter than an adult. It weighed 84 lb (38 kg) and was half the weight of a Saiga antelope and a blue sheep.

What were the male and female names of the species?

Male and female names of this Theropod dinosaur species were the same. If there is a need to distinguish between them they can be referred to as a male Noasaurus and a female Noasaurus. Since only one incomplete specimen has been found in Argentina by Bonaparte and Powell, it is not known whether they exhibited sexual dimorphism or not. Sexual dimorphism is a very easy way to distinguish between sexes.

What would you call a baby Noasaurus?

A baby Theropod dinosaur doesn't have any specific names. Dinosaur babies are generally referred to as babies or juveniles. They might also be referred to according to the life stage: juvenile, sub-adult, or adult.

What did they eat?

Detailed information about the diet and lifestyle of these dinosaurs is not known. Using teeth found in the jaw discovered by Bonaparte, it is known that they had a carnivorous diet. Carnivorous dinosaurs usually preyed on a range of other smaller dinosaurs, small mammals, and eggs. They would probably have used their claw to kill or hold their prey.

How aggressive were they?

These Theropod dinosaurs were moderately aggressive as they had a carnivorous lifestyle but because of their small size, they were preyed on by other carnivores. Since they lived in herds they were probably territorial and aggressive against rivals.

Did you know...

The Masiakasaurus was a Therapod dinosaur genus related to the Noasauridae family which had an unusual down-turned jaw adapted for its piscivore diet. The Noasaurus might have had a similar lifestyle. It is thought to be endemic to Argentina.

What killed the Noasaurus?

The Noasaurus was preyed on by carnivorous dinosaurs of the late Cretaceous era like the Carnotaurus, the popular Tyrannosaurus rex, the Alioramus, and the Albertosaurus, among others.

How did the Noasaurus get its name?

'Noa' is an abbreviation of northwestern Argentina, where it was first found, and 'saurus' means lizard in Greek. The name of the type species, leali, honors the owner of the excavation site where it was first discovered, Fidel Leal.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Elasmosaurus facts and Ohmdenosaurus fun facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Noasaurus coloring pages.

The main image is owned by Debivort.

The second image is owned by Jaime A. Headden.