Welcome to Agilisaurus
Name Definition
Agile lizard
Name Given By
Peng Guangzhou in 1990
Location
Shaximiao Formation in Sichuan Province, China
Classification
Dinosauria, Ornithischia, Genasauria, Neornithischia
Size
about 0.6 meters tall (2 ft), 1.2 - 1.7 meters long (3.5 - 4 ft), about 40 kg (88.1 lbs)
Temporal Range
Bathonian - Oxfordian stages of the Jurassic, ~168 - 161 million years ago
Ecological niche
small agile herbivore and possibly burrow dweller
Species/Sub Species
A. louderbacki
Diet
the wavy shaped enamel found on Agilisaurus’ teeth was previously thought to have been exclusive to only hadrosaurs, so it is likely that Agilisaurus probably fed on hard plant matter since this enamel would have reduced wear on the teeth
Introduction
Agilisaurus is a genus of basal ornithischian dinosaurs that lived in China during the middle-late Jurassic period. One of the more remarkable things about this find is not about it, but how it was found. Agilisaurus was, coincidentally, discovered by American geologist George Louderback (whom the species is named after) during the construction of the Zigong Dinosaur Museum. Yes, a dinosaur museum that discovered its very own dinosaur! It also makes sense that they decided to excavate the remains and display it in this very museum. As seen in the name, Agilisaurus was named after its light build giving it more agility, while the species name honors George Louderback who first discovered the remains. This light build is supported by the fact that Agilisaurus had a tibia (lower leg bone along with the fibula) longer than the femur (upper leg bone) which gave it a very fast running speed. Combined with its agility and stiff tail to balance it out, Agilisaurus may have been able to outrun most, if not all, of its predators to use it as a main defense without the use of armor or horns like the more heavyweight ornithischians. Analysis of the scleral rings in Agilisaurus’ skull also suggest that it was a diurnal creature, which meant that it was mostly active for the day and rested during the night. Since it does not have any of the signature features found in most ornithischian groups, Agilisaurus has been rather hard to classify. It might just be a basalmost ornithischian that lived late, or perhaps it is part of an ornithischian group that has yet to be discovered. Discovered in the Shaximiao Formation, Agilisaurus lived with a variety of Chinese Jurassic life including many genera of sauropods such as Mamenchisaurus and Datousaurus, as well as many Chinese theropods like Sinraptor, Yangchuanosaurus, and Szechuanosaurus. There were also therapsids, turtles, and other reptiles present in the formation.