What is hippodraco?

Hippodraco is a genus of herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, approximately 130 million years ago. It belonged to the group of dinosaurs known as iguanodonts, which were characterized by their duck-billed appearance and ability to walk on both two and four legs.

Hippodraco was first discovered in 2004 in the Cedar Mountain Formation of Utah, United States. The fossils that have been attributed to Hippodraco include fragments of the skull, vertebrae, ribs, and limb bones, providing scientists with a good understanding of its anatomy.

Based on the size of the fossils, it is estimated that Hippodraco was around 15 to 20 feet in length and weighed between 500 to 1,000 pounds. It likely had a beak for cropping vegetation and a large, muscular body for processing tough plant material.

The name Hippodraco means "horse dragon", a reference to its horse-like appearance and dragon-like characteristics as a dinosaur. While not as well-known as some other dinosaurs, Hippodraco has contributed valuable information to our understanding of the diverse fauna that inhabited the Earth during the Cretaceous period.