Herrerasaurus was named after the Argentinian rancher who found the fossil, Victorino Herrera. The name translates to "Herrera's Lizard," in Latin.
Herrerasaurus shared many physical traits with other early dinosaurs. It had long, three-toed back legs that were built for running. Its arms were shorter with five-fingered hands. The first three fingers of their hands were clawed, likely aiding Herrerasaurus in catching prey. It had a long neck with a narrow head and forward-facing eyes. However, Herrerasaurus also had traits not seen in other dinosaurs, but in their early ancestors.
Herrerasaurus' hips were made up of two fused vertebrae, while most dinosaurs had three or more fused vertebrae in their hips. Herrerasaurus had a special hinged jaw with a joint that shifted with the movements of live prey. This kind of jaw is more common in modern lizards than it was with non-avian dinosaurs. These non-dinosaur traits led many scientists to classify Herrerasaurus as a very early dinosaur or a close ancestor of dinosaurs.
Herrerasaurus at the Akron Zoo
Herrerasaurus is located across from the gibbon treehouse.
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This dinosaur is sponsored by the Vukoder Family, especially for our little dino enthusiast, Harrison!