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Iguanodon

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A scientific illustration showing Iguanodon bernissartensis, an ancient plant-eating dinosaur, in its natural quadrupedal stance.

Iguanodon

Iguanodon is a fascinating dinosaur that lived a very long time ago, between about 126 and 122 million years ago. This big, plant-eating dinosaur roamed places that are now Belgium, Germany, England, and Spain. It was one of the first dinosaurs ever discovered and named!

Iguanodon could grow up to 9–11 metres (30–36 feet) long and weigh as much as 4.5 metric tons. It had strong legs and could walk on two legs or four. Its hands had three fingers, and a special spike on its thumb that might have helped it defend itself or grab food. Iguanodon had a tall, narrow head with a beak-like mouth and teeth perfect for chewing tough plants.

The name Iguanodon means "iguana-tooth" because its teeth looked like those of an iguana, a type of lizard. An English geologist named Gideon Mantell discovered the first teeth of this dinosaur in England in 1822. He was the first to name it Iguanodon in 1825. Because many complete skeletons were found in a coal mine in Bernissart, Belgium, scientists learned a lot about how Iguanodon looked and lived.

Today, Iguanodon is very famous and appears in many books, movies, and TV shows. It helped scientists understand what dinosaurs were and how they lived, making it an important part of dinosaur history!

Images

Illustration of Iguanodon teeth by scientist Gideon Mantell from 1825.
An artist's restoration of the Iguanodon, a large herbivorous dinosaur from the time of the dinosaurs.
Fossilized bones of Mantellisaurus, an ancient dinosaur, displayed in a museum.
A historic model of a dinosaur on display in Crystal Palace Park, showcasing an old scientific interpretation of prehistoric creatures.
Fossil drawing of an Iguanodon dinosaur discovered in Bernissart.
Fossilized skeletons of Iguanodon discovered in Bernissart, showcasing how these ancient dinosaurs were quickly preserved in sediment.
Scientific drawing of an Iguanodon dinosaur fossil from 1885, showing how paleontologists mapped the bones before excavation.
Scientific illustration of an Iguanodon dinosaur skeleton by Gustave Lavalette, showing its posture.
Scientists carefully assembling an ancient dinosaur skeleton in a museum in 1882.
Historical painting showing scientists assembling the first iguanodon dinosaur skeleton in a chapel in Brussels in 1882.
A detailed skeletal model of Iguanodon, an interesting dinosaur on display at the Überseemuseum Bremen.
A skeleton model of the dinosaur Iguanodon on display at Dinosaur Isle Museum in the UK.
A size comparison chart showing how big the Iguanodon dinosaur was compared to a person.

Related articles

Belgium
England
Dinosaur
Plant
Germany
Spain

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Iguanodon, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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