Aardonyx
Aardonyx
- Pronunciation:
- ar-don-ix
- Name meaning:
- 'Earth claw'
- Type of dinosaur:
- prosauropod
- Length:
- 8.0m
- Diet:
- herbivorous
- When it lived:
- Early Jurassic, 199-189 million years ago
- Found in:
- South Africa
Aardonyx is known from 2 immature individuals. Adults would have been much larger, probably over 10m.
Aardonyx would have been largely bipedal (walking on 2 legs) but also capable of walking on all 4 legs. This and its way of feeding are transitional features between those of basal sauropodomorphs and the more derived sauropods (large dinosaurs that walked on all fours) that came later.
Taxonomic details
- Taxonomy:
- Dinosauria, Saurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Prosauropoda, Anchisauria
- Named by:
- Yates, Bonnan, Neveling, Chinsamy and Blackbeard 2010 (2009)
- Type species:
- celestae
Related
-
DinosaursHow dinosaurs evolved into birds
The humble pigeon is a distant relative of the mighty T. rex.
-
DinosaursDinosaur family tree gets major makeover
Dinosaurs have a new family tree. Find out how it has changed and what the new tree reveals about dinosaurs' origins and evolution.
-
DinosaursWhat's wrong with these dinosaurs?
These popular dinosaur reconstructions from the 1960s are no longer scientifically accurate. Can you spot the errors?
-
What is a coprolite?
Fossil poo may not be a glamorous fossil find, but it can reveal a lot about prehistoric animals.
Step back in time
Find out more about dinosaurs' lives and the world they lived in.
Walk alongside a giant
Discover the colossal Patagotitan mayorum at Titanosaur: Life as the Biggest Dinosaur, open now.
Dinosaurs gallery
Roarrr. Come face-to-face with some of the Museum's most famous dinosaurs.