| Now what we have here is a Herrerasaurus. It's a carnivore and a spectacular addition to our dinosaurs. It just requires a little TLC. |
Herrerasaurus is a genus of theropod dinosaur in the Jurassic World Evolution series. Originating from Late Triassic South America, it is one of the earliest dinosaurs that ever lived.
In Evolution, Herrerasaurus is included in the Carnivore Dinosaur Pack, and can be unlocked by progressing through the Science Division on Isla Tacaño, where its fossils can subsequently be excavated from the Ischigualasto Formation.
Herrerasaurus then returned in the base game of Evolution 2 and Evolution 3.
History
Herrerasaurus was one of the species that InGen had planned to feature at the original Jurassic Park on Isla Nublar. At least four Herrerasaurus were created by InGen inside their compound on Isla Sorna and shipped to Isla Nublar where they lived in their own paddock. On the map, the Herrerasaurus enclosure was 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.[1]
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The following information is based on Jurassic Park: The Game and is not confirmed canon. |
According to Dr. Laura Sorkin, a scientist working for InGen during the Jurassic Park incident, Herrerasaurus were created as a 'safe' alternative to the Velociraptor, as they seemed to be not as intelligent and were easier to contain compared to the raptors.[2]
End of information based on Jurassic Park: The Game.
The species appears to have been present in Jurassic World and as of 2018, it has been revealed that the Herrerasaurus population was the victim of an unconfirmed form of cruelty.[3]
Characteristics
One of the oldest and earliest dinosaurs known, dating back to the Late Triassic period, Herrerasaurus is a relatively medium-sized, stocky and powerfully built carnivorous theropod, measuring between 4 and 6 meters in length and 200 to 400kg in weight. With a light frame that allow it to run very quickly and a long narrow skull with lots of large, jagged, serrated teeth that helps it to latch onto and tear into the flesh of its prey, Herrerasaurus feeds on smaller herbivores and has a flexible jaw with a special joint in its lower jaw that allows it to grip on to and hold down its prey with a vice-like grip. Based on its size, it likely hunted small and medium herbivores. Fossil evidence suggests that this dinosaur was capable of digesting bone. Unlike the other species of small carnivores (except Compsognathus), Herrerasaurus locks its jaws on small prey (especially goats) and uses its body momemtum to wrestle it to the ground. The base genome of the Herrerasaurus is green, with yellowish stripes across its body.
Behaviour
A Herrerasaurus hunts down a Homalocephale.
Herrerasaurus is a medium-sized carnivore which eats from both the Carnivore and Live Bait Feeders. They can hunt small and medium herbivores such as Gallimimus and Homalocephale, fight with larger pachycephalosaurids, and other small carnivores such as Velociraptor and Proceratosaurus. They can however live alongside armoured and giant herbivores such as Ankylosaurus and Brachiosaurus. Herrerasaurus is a relatively social dinosaur, preferring social groups of between one and five individuals, as well as a population of up to twenty two other dinosaurs.
Available genomes
| Fossil icon | Dig site | Quality | Number available |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Ischigualasto Formation | ★ ★★ ★★★ ★★★★ |
2 6 12 8 |
Skins
Paleontology
The first Herrerasaurus specimens were discovered in 1959 by Andean goatherder, Don Victorino Herrera, from whom the genus also gets its name. Herrera spotted the fossils in surface level rock of the Ischigualasto Formation jutting out from an outcrop near the city of San Juan, Argentina. He reported it to paleontologist Osvaldo Reig, who named the dinosaur after Herrera. Initially, it classified it as a Carnosaur, the group that contains, among others, Carcharodontosaurus, Allosaurus, and Metriacanthosaurus. The fragmentary nature of the initial specimens made a conclusive classification difficult and it was not officially classified as a new genus, but in 1988, a near complete skeleton was discovered, again in Argentina. Since this discovery, Herrerasaurus has been classified as completely distinct from theropods, despite superficial similarities. Later studies of this outcrop, the Ischigualasto Formation, later yielded a diverse array of animals including another far more basal dinosaur, Eoraptor.
One of the earliest dinosaurs known, Herrerasaurus was also one of the largest carnivorous dinosaurs of its formation, measuring 6 m (20 ft) in length and weighing close to 363 kg (800 lb). Despite its size though, it was dwarfed by large rauisuchians, land-dwelling relatives of the crocodiles, which were the apex predators. Herrerasaurus is a primitive animal compared to later dinosaurs and, despite similarities, it may not be a theropod. Instead, it and its kind, the Herrerasauridae, are basal saurischians and may have been the start of both theropod and sauropod lineages.
A pair of Herrerasaurus.
All Herrerasauridae have so far been found in North and South America, however, the relationship these dinosaurs have with others is a mystery. Herrerasaurus already displayed some traits and features which would be seen in later dinosaurs, such as the pubic bone in the pelvis pointing backward, as seen in dinosaurs and birds. Its long narrow skull had a flexible joint in the lower jaw, so it could slide back and forth to deliver a grasping bite. This trait is unique among dinosaurs but can be found in some types of lizards.
Some scientists have hypothesized that Herrerasaurus may have had more in common with sauropods than theropods.[4]
Paleoecology
Discovered in Middle to Late Triassic Ischigualasto Formation, Herrerasaurus lived in Argentina around 237 to 208 million years ago. As one of the earliest dinosaurs and possibly among the apex predators of its time and ecosystem, it shared its environment mostly with reptiles like giant land-living rauisuchian Saurosuchus and Venaticosuchus, although another early dinosaur, Eoraptor, existed during the same period. Research suggests that Herrerasaurus preferred a warm, wet climate, and mainly lived in forests and on floodplains. Ferns, horsetails, and giant conifers would have been common plants.
Gallery
References
- ↑ What Killed the Gene Guard Act?. (February 23, 2018). Dinosaur Protection Group. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ↑ Jurassic Park: The Game [Video game]. (2011). Telltale Games.
- ↑ Dinosaur Protection Group. (2018). Dinosaurs Are Mortal. Cruelty Is Timeless. [Poster]. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28332513
External links
- Herrerasaurus on Wikipedia
