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Stub This section is taken from the Dinosaur Field Guide.

Herrerasaurus ("[Victorino] Herrera's lizard") was one of the oldest and most primitive Theropods, or meat-eating dinosaurs, though in its day it was relatively hyper-advanced. Its body displayed many of the same features of the later theropods. It walked on its hind legs, which sported feet with 5 digits each with the middle 3 being able to bear weight, and its arms ended in a long 5-digit hand with the first 3 ending in powerful claws used for grasping prey. Its teeth, like those of most theropods - were shaped like blades and had knife-like serrations running up the front and down the back. Its lower jaw had a special hinge about halfway along its length. This joint would have helped Herrerasaurus to better hold on to struggling victims. Many later theropods also had this hinge. Some scientists consider the Herrerasaurus to be more carnivorous primitive member of the Prosauropoda family.

Although Herrerasaurus shared the basic body design of future rulers of the Earth (like Allosaurus, Giganotosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus), it lived during the Triassic period, a time when the dinosaurs were not the most powerful animals on Earth. Herrerasaurus would have had to run away from the much larger Saurosuchus, a giant land-dwelling crocodile relative, and the even larger Fasolasuchus tenax, which was the largest meat-eater in Argentina during the beginning of the Mesozoic era.


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History[]

Herrera icon

Herrerasaurus map icon.

Creation[]

At least 4 Herrerasaurus were created by InGen inside their compound on Isla Sorna and shipped to Isla Nublar where they lived in their own paddock, but the animal was never seen on-screen.[1] On the map, Herrerasaurus‘ enclosure is 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.[2]

Ornithomimid Diorama3

Herrerasaurus skull in a case

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom[]

Herrerasaurus apparently was subject to cruelty by 2018, although it is unknown if there are any surviving populations left.[3]

However, a fossil skull of Herrerasaurus is seen in Lockwood Manor in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Books[]

Behind the scenes[]

There is evidence that mosquitoes existed during the Triassic period around 226 million years ago. Scientists have found Amber from that period, meaning that Herrerasaurus must have been created using DNA from drops of blood or pieces of flesh preserved in amber (see DNA in Amber).

References[]

  1. The computer screens in the film don't show a "Herrerasaurus Paddock" (see image).
  2. InGen's Investigation Note of the 1993 incident, leaked in 2018 by DPG: "Previously active on Nublar. Four individuals were alive prior to the sabotage of park systems - All were found dead during the 1994 clean-up. Viable embryos were destroyed during sabotage of cold storage units and flooding."
  3. according to the Dinosaur Protection Group, Herrerasaurus is one of the 12 dinosaur species subject to cruelty before the events the of the film.

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