St Aiden’s Homeschool

Footsteps on the Road to Learning

I’m Learning About Dinosaurs

Herrerasaurus
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Donnette E Davis
 Learning About Dinosaurs K-6

Herrerasaurus

Herrerasaurus (pronounced huh-Rare-uh-Sore-us) was one the earliest dinosaurs to

have walked on the face of the Earth. It lived in what is now Argentina and was a
meat-eater, also known as a carnivore.

What did they look like?

Herrerasaurus was likely up to 6 feet (2 meters) in length, walked on its hind legs with
short thighs and rather long feet. It was very quick on its feet and had strong claws
for grabbing prey. Herrerasaurus weighed at least 400 pounds and at most 750
pounds.

What did they eat?

Herrerasaurus was a meat-eater. It probably fed on small and medium-sized

animals. However, it most likely did not hunt for itself, instead it probably ate meat
off dead animals. It has been suggested it fed on rhynchosaurs, small prehistoric
lizards, and aetosaurs, a kind of mix between an armadillo and a pig.

When did they live?

Herrerasaurus lived in the Late Triassic period, about 230 million years ago. Their
favourite habitat was in woodlands, amongst the ferns, conifers and mosses.

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 Learning About Dinosaurs K-6
Where did they live?

Herrerasaurus once lived in Argentina on the South American continent. Found in

the Ischigualasto Formation of Argentina, along with the bones of several other
early dinosaurs.

How were they discovered?

The first Herrerasaurus fossil was discovered in 1958 by a local man named Don
Victorino Herrera. But, it wasn't until 1988 that the first skull was discovered.

What do we need to learn?

• The colour of skin

• Was Herrerasaurus just a hunter, scavenger, or a mix of both?

NOTES:

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 Learning About Dinosaurs K-6

In your own words answer the following questions in as much detail as you possibly can. For younger
learners it would be beneficial for the parent/educator to make notes based on the child’s answers.

What did they look like? (Their size, how they walked, some interesting facts
about their different parts, etc)
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What did they eat? (Plant-eaters, omnivorous, or carnivorous, or more?)

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When did they live? (Not all species of dinosaurs were alive during the K-T event.
There were several development periods for different dinosaur species and some
were likely "ancestors" of other dinosaurs found in later periods.)
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 Learning About Dinosaurs K-6
Where did they live? (Ocean, shallow seas, jungle, grasslands, etc.)
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How were they discovered? (Discussions about where the fossils were found and
perhaps even names and information about the discoverer.)
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What do we need to learn? (To demonstrate that science is still evolving and
that we don't know all of the answers.)
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 Learning About Dinosaurs K-6
Acknowledgements, Thanks & Terms of Use
We would love to hear your comments on this workbook. If you have a moment please email your
comments and suggestions to feedback@staidenshomeschool.com

Other Volumes In Our Series Of Workbooks

AFRICA
ALPHABET, VOWELS & CONSONANTS
ANIMALS
COLOURS, SHAPES, PUZZLES
DOLCH WORDS , WORD FAMILIES & PHONICS
NUMBERS AND COUNTING

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Special thanks to:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of
Communications and Outreach,
Helping Your Child Learn Science,
Washington, D.C., 2005.
AND
http://edc2.usgs.gov

All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License (see Copyrights for details).

Donnette E Davis © 2009

St Aiden’s Homeschool, South Africa & The Child Development Spot
P O Box 13720
Cascades
3202
KwaZulu-Natal
Republic of South Africa
www.staidenshomeschool.com

Donnette E Davis 2009 www.staidenshomeschool.com 266