Herrerasaurus

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***Herrerasaurus*** is a genus of theropod dinosaur that originated from Late Triassic South America. One of the earliest dinosaurs that ever lived, it is discovered at the Ischigualasto Formation. *Herrerasaurus* is included in the *Carnivore Dinosaur Pack* and unlocked at Isla Tacaño by progressing through the Science Division.

## History

*Herrerasaurus* was one of the species which InGen had planned to feature at the original Jurassic Park on Isla Nublar. At least four *Herrerasaurus* were created by InGen inside their compound on Isla Sorna and shipped to Isla Nublar where they lived in their own paddock. On the map, the *Herrerasaurus* enclosure was located at the far northwestern end of the island where the tourist route does not connect. This population went extinct between the 1993 incident and the 1994 cleanup. InGen did, however, save 60% of its genome.

According to Dr. Laura Sorkin, a scientist working for InGen during the Jurassic Park incident, *Herrerasaurus* were created as a 'safe' alternative to the *Velociraptors* as they seemed to be not as intelligent and were easier to contain compared to the raptors.

End of information based on Jurassic Park: The Game.

The species appears to have been present in *Jurassic World* and as of 2018, it has been revealed that the *Herrerasaurus* population was the victim of an unconfirmed form of cruelty.

## Characteristics

One of the earliest dinosaurs known, dating back to the Late Triassic period, *Herrerasaurus* is a relatively medium sized, stocky and powerfully built carnivore, measuring around 4.5 meters in length and 200kg in weight. This dinosaur had a flexible jaw that allowed it to grip on to its prey. Based on its size, with a light frame that allow it to run very quickly and large, jagged teeth that help it to latch onto prey, *Herrerasaurus* likely hunted small and medium herbivores. Fossil evidence suggests that this dinosaur was capable of digesting bone. Unlike the other species of small carnivores (except *Compsognathus*), *Herrerasauru*s locks its jaws on small prey (especially goats) and uses its body momemtum to wrestle it to the ground. The base genome of the *Herrerasaurus* is green, with yellowish stripes across its body.

### Behaviour

*Herrerasaurus* is a medium-sized carnivore which eats from both the Carnivore and Live Bait Feeders. They can hunt small and medium herbivores such as *Gallimimus* and *Homalocephale*, fight with larger pachycephalosaurids, and other small carnivores such as *Velociraptor* and *Proceratosaurus*. They can however live alongside armoured and giant herbivores such as *Ankylosaurus* and *Brachiosaurus*. *Herrerasaurus* is a relatively social dinosaur, preferring social groups of between one and five individuals, as well as a population of up to twenty two other dinosaurs.

## Paleontology

The first *Herrerasaurus* specimens were discovered in 1959 by Andean goatherd Victorino Herrera, from whom the genus also gets it name. Herrera spotted the fossils in surface level rock of the Ischigualasto Formation jutting out from an outcrop near the city of San Juan, Argentina. He reported it to paleontologist Osvaldo Reig, who named the dinosaur after Herrera. Initially, it classified it as a Carnosaur, the group that contains, among others, *Carcharodontosaurus*, *Allosaurus*, and *Metriacanthosaurus*. The fragmentary nature of the initial specimens made a conclusive classification difficult and it was not officially classified as a new genus, but in 1988, a near complete skeleton was discovered, again in Argentina. Since this discovery, Herrerasaurus has been classified as completely distinct from theropods, despite superficial similarities. Later studies of this outcrop, the Ischigualasto Formation, later yielded a diverse array of animals including another far more basal dinosaur, *Eoraptor*.

One of the earliest dinosaurs known, *Herrerasaurus* was also one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs of its formation, measuring 6 m (20 ft.) in length and weighing close to 800 pounds. Despite its size though, it was dwarfed by large rauisuchians, land-dwelling relatives of the crocodiles, which were the apex predators. *Herrerasaurus* is a primitive animal compared to later dinosaurs and, despite similarities, it may not be a theropod. Instead, it and its kind, the Herrerasauridae, are basal saurischians and may have been the start of both theropod and sauropod lineages.

All Herrerasauridae have so far been found in North and South America, however, the relationship these dinosaurs have with others is a mystery. *Herrerasaurus* already displayed some traits and features which would be seen in later dinosaurs, such as the pubic bone in the pelvis pointing backward, as seen in dinosaurs and birds. Its long narrow skull had a flexible joint in the lower jaw, so it could slide back and forth to deliver a grasping bite. This trait is unique among dinosaurs but can be found in some types of lizards.

Some scientists have hypothesized that *Herrerasaurus* may have had more in common with sauropods than theropods.

### Paleoecology

Discovered in Late Triassic Ischigualasto Formation, *Herrerasaurus* lived in Argentina around 228 million years ago. As one of the earliest dinosaurs, it shared its environment mostly with reptiles like giant land-living rauisuchian *Saurosuchus* and *Venaticosuchus*, although another early dinosaur, *Eoraptor,* existed during the same period. Research suggests that *Herrerasaurus* preferred a warm, wet climate, and mainly lived in forests and on floodplains. Ferns, horsetails, and giant conifers would have been common plants.

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## Gallery

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## References

1. ↑ *What Killed the Gene Guard Act?*. (February 23, 2018). Dinosaur Protection Group. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
2. ↑ Jurassic Park: The Game [Video game]. (2011). Telltale Games.
3. ↑ Dinosaur Protection Group. (2018). *Dinosaurs Are Mortal. Cruelty Is Timeless.* [Poster]. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
4. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28332513