BACTROSAURUS
Pronunciation: BAK-truh-SAWR-us
Translation: Bactrian Lizard
Also known as:
Description: Herbivore, Bipedal
Order: Ornithischia
Suborder: Ornithopoda
Infraorder: Iguanodontia
Family: Hadrosauridae
Height: 8 feet (2.4 meters)
Length: 20 feet (6.1 meters)
Weight:
Period: Late Cretaceous


Notes: Bactrosaurus is one of the earliest known duck-billed hadrosaurs. It had fewer teeth than did later hadrosaurs. It lived in what is now Mongolia.

DASPLETOSAURUS
Pronunciation: dass-PLEE-tuh-SAWR-us
Translation: Frightful Lizard
Description: Carnivore,Bipedal
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Infraorder: Tetanurae
Micro-order: Carnosauria
Family: Tyrannosauridae
Height: 16 feet (4.9 meters)
Length: 30 feet (9.1 meters)
Weight: 5,950 lbs (2,700 kg)
Period: Late Cretaceous


Notes: Discovered in Alberta, Canada, Daspletosaurus was a contemporary of Albertosaurus. A marginally smaller, close relative of Tyrannosaurus, Daspletosaurus' possessed the typical tyrannosaurid two-fingered hands, but its powerful jaws were equipped with larger (although fewer) teeth than Tyrannosaurus. It is conjectured that the heavily-built Daspletosaurus preyed upon ceratopsians.

OTHNIELIA
Pronunciation: oth-NEEL-ee-ah
Translation: Named after Othniel Charles Marsh,
American paleontologist
Also Known As: Laosaurus
Description: Herbivore, Bipedal
Order: Ornithischia
Suborder: Ornithopoda
Family: Hypsilophodontidae
Height: 2 feet (0.6 meters)
Length: 4.6 feet (1.4 meters)
Weight:
Period: Late Jurassic


Notes: Found in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado, Othnielia had a small head and large eyes. Its beak-like jaws were lined with teeth which were enameled on both sides.

OVIRAPTOR
Pronunciation: o-vih-RAP-tor
Translation: Egg Thief
Also Known As:
Description: Carnivore, Bipedal
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Infraorder: Tetanurae
Micro-order: Maniraptora (of the microorder Coelurosauria)
Superfamily: Oviraptorosauria
Family: Oviraptoridae
Height: 3 feet (0.9 meters)
Length: 5 feet (1.5 meters)
Weight: 80 pounds (36 kg)
Period: Late Cretaceous


Notes: Found in southern Mongolia, Oviraptor received its name, "Egg Thief," from the fact that it was found atop a clutch of eggs that were believed to be those of Protoceratops.With the discovery of an egg with an Oviraptor embryo in it, the eggs attributed to Protoceratops belong to Oviraptor. Moreover, a few new specimens show skeletons of Oviraptor crouching over clutches of these eggs. Instead of stealing the eggs, it seems likely that Oviraptor was trying to protect the nests, not plunder them. Oviraptor had long, slender legs and huge hands with three long, slender fingers. Although it possessed no teeth, Oviraptor's clawed hands argue for its predator status.