Knowra Heterodontosauridae Heterodontosauridae Heterodontosauridae is an extinct family of small ornithischian dinosaurs distinguished by varied tooth types, including enlarged caniniform teeth in some species.
Ornithischia : Ornithischia is the major dinosaur group that includes horned, armored, duck-billed, and many other herbivorous dinosaurs. Heterodontosauridae belongs to this major dinosaur lineage.
Heterodontosaurus : Heterodontosaurus is a small Early Jurassic ornithischian dinosaur from southern Africa, known from a well-preserved skull and skeleton. Its skull provides the clearest example of the family’s varied dentition.
Abrictosaurus : Abrictosaurus is a small Early Jurassic ornithischian dinosaur known from fossils found in southern Africa. Its skull lacks the enlarged caniniform teeth seen in some close relatives.
Lesothosaurus : Lesothosaurus is a small Early Jurassic ornithischian dinosaur from southern Africa, known from several relatively complete fossils. It offers a comparison for early ornithischian anatomy near the family’s evolutionary setting.
Heterodontosaurid classification : Heterodontosaurid classification is the study of which fossil species belong to the family and how they are related. Different analyses have varied in which fragmentary taxa they include.
Dinosauria : Dinosauria is the clade of reptiles that includes birds and all extinct non-avian dinosaurs. The family occupies an early branch of dinosaur evolution.
Caniniform teeth : Caniniform teeth are elongated, pointed teeth shaped like canines, although they are not mammalian canines. Some heterodontosaurids bore enlarged caniniform teeth in their jaws.
Lycorhinus : Lycorhinus is a small Early Jurassic ornithischian dinosaur from southern Africa, known chiefly from jaw fossils. Its large, tusk-like teeth helped establish the distinctive dental pattern associated with the family.
Eocursor : Eocursor is a small Late Triassic dinosaur from South Africa, often classified as an early ornithischian. Its proposed early position provides context for ornithischian origins preceding the family.
Dinosaur fossil record : The dinosaur fossil record is the surviving collection of dinosaur remains and traces preserved in geological deposits. Sparse and uneven fossils limit knowledge of the family’s diversity and distribution.
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