Mussaurus was a herbivorous animal that lived in the Triassic period some 215-195 million years ago, making it one of the first dinosaurs. It belonged to the dinosaur family from which the large sauropods evolved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1970s, it was found by Jos\u00e9 Bonaparte during an expedition to the Late Triassic El Tranquilo Formation of southern Argentina. In 1979 it was named by Jos\u00e9 Bonaparte and Mart\u00edn Vince as Mussaurus \"mouse reptile\", in reference to the first specimens of hatchlings found in a nest and which were approximately the size of a mouse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its limb and pelvic area were immediately recognized as a prosapod, although the hatchlings had short necks and tall, short skulls with large orbits. The younger Mussaurus had different body proportions than the older animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mussaurus had short claws on its forelimbs and hind limbs, and weak, leaf-shaped teeth. It walked on two muscular legs or could also flee on all four legs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These dinosaurs lived in a dry, almost desert environment. It was a herbivorous animal that grazed on tall vegetation, such as conifers and cycads. The sharp teeth helped to tear the hard plants into pieces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to the discovery of Mussaurus, it brought us closer to the social behavior of dinosaurs. The study gives us information that hatchlings and eggs in the nest mean that these dinosaurs laid eggs. These eggs were only about 2.5 cm long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The estimated size of an adult mussaurus was 3 m long and weighed about 70 kg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n