Elasmaria

† Elasmaria is a clade of small to medium iguanodontian ornithopod dinosaurs restricted to Gondwanan landmasses during the Cretaceous, with members in Argentina and Antarctica. Characterised by thin, plate-like ilia, these biped herbivores browsed on low vegetation in the floodplains and forests of southern Gondwana. Their isolation from northern ornithopods led to distinctive anatomical features. Elasmarian diversity in Patagonia documents the parallel evolution of ornithopod radiations on separate continents.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Elasmaria 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

Cretaceous Late Mesozoic Era

Elasmaria lived during the Cretaceous Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 100.5 to 66.0 million years ago.

The final age of dinosaurs, featuring iconic species like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Velociraptor. Dinosaurs reached their peak diversity before the catastrophic asteroid impact at the Chicxulub crater ended the Mesozoic Era.