Byronosaurus was a troodontid dinosaur which lived throughout the Late Cretaceous Period. It was named for Byron Jaffe, "in recognition of his family's hold for the Mongolian Academy of Sciences-American Museum of Natural History Paleontological Expeditions." The first example of Byronosaurus was exposed in 1993 at Ukhaa Tolgod, Gobi Desert, Mongolia; a second was found in 1996 at Bolor's Hill, about five miles away.
Byronosaurus was a small, agile dinosaur that was almost certainly only
five feet (1.5 meters) long and 17 inches (50 centimeters) high. It weighed
only about 9 pounds (4 kilograms). Unlike other troodontids, its teeth
seem to lack serrations. They are in its place needle-like, probably best
suited for catching small birds, lizards and mammals. Specifically, they
look like those of Archeopteryx, the bird-like dinosaur.
The remains of two folks have been found, including two skulls. One,
measuring eight inches long (23 centimeters), is better potted than any
other troodontid skull found to date.
It has a chamber in the snout where air enters from the nostrils before transitory through the mouth--another characteristic similar to that found in birds.
| Name: | Byronosaurus (Troodontidae) |
| Size: | 5ft long and 3.3ft tall |
| Main Facts: | According to its Encephalization Quotient, Byronosaurus was extremely intelligent as compared to other dinosaurs. |
