Echinodon

† Echinodon is a small heterodontosaurid ornithischian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of England (and possibly the United States), described by Richard Owen in 1861. Estimated at only 60 cm in length, it possessed differentiated teeth including prominent canine-like fangs and leaf-shaped cheek teeth. Likely an omnivore feeding on insects, small vertebrates, and plant material, it was one of the smallest dinosaurs of the Jurassic. Its placement within Heterodontosauridae is supported by its distinctive heterodonty.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Echinodon was a plant-eating dinosaur. Herbivores typically fed on ferns, cycads, conifers, and other vegetation available during their era. Many herbivorous dinosaurs developed specialized teeth and digestive systems for processing tough plant material.

Time Period

Jurassic Late Mesozoic Era

Echinodon lived during the Jurassic Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 161.5 to 145.0 million years ago.

One of the most iconic periods for dinosaurs. Giant sauropods like Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus roamed alongside predators like Allosaurus. Archaeopteryx, the earliest known bird, appeared. The Morrison Formation preserves an extraordinary fossil record from this time.