Fun Fukuisaurus Facts For Kids

The genus Fukuisaurus, which means Fukui lizard, consists of only one species: the F. tetoriensis. These dinosaurs belonged to the Barremian stage of the early Cretaceous time period around 145-100 million years ago. Remains of these dinosaurs were found in the Fukui Prefecture of Katsuyama, Japan, among the Kitadani formation of the Tetori Group.

The type species, F. tetoriensis, was discovered in 1989 but was named and described in 2003 by Yoichi Azuma and Yoshitsugu Kobayashi. The genera name was coined because it was found in Fukui and the specific name is because these dinosaurs belonged to the Tetoriensis Group. This dinosaur genus fossil is known as a partial skull with the right jugal and a maxilla. The classification of this genus took a couple of turns with its sternum's posterolateral process looking more similar to remains of the Styracosterna. Later, the cladistic analysis suggested that it was less derived than the Altirhinus but more derived than the Ouranosaurus and the Iguanodon.

Remains of this dinosaur suggest that it was a herbivore with its diet mainly consisting of plant matter. Fossils of this Fukui lizard also display a characteristic feature of their jaws, which shows that a sideways chewing motion would be impossible in this dinosaur because of the fused maxilla.

If you like reading about prehistoric animals, check out the Fukuiraptor and the Fukuivenator.

How do you pronounce 'Fukuisaurus'? 

The Fukuisaurus pronunciation is 'foo-kwee-sore-us'.

What type of dinosaur was a Fukuisaurus?

The Fukuisaurus was an Ornithopoda dinosaur under the order of Ornithischia.

In which geological period did the Fukuisaurus roam the Earth?

The time period in which the Fukuisaurus dinosaur lived was the Barremian stage of the early Cretaceous period.

When did the Fukuisaurus become extinct?

Fukuisaurus dinosaur fossils prove that they went extinct in the Barremian stage of the early Cretaceous period, around 121-99 million years ago.

Where did a Fukuisaurus live? 

The discovery of fossils of the Fukui Lizard or the dinosaur Fukuisaurus was in the Kitadani formation in the Fukui Prefecture of Japan. Fossil specimens were also found on Honshu Island in Japan.

What was a Fukuisaurus' habitat? 

The habitat of the Fukuisaurus dinosaur was rocky forests of the area its remains were discovered in.

Who did a Fukuisaurus live with?

This dinosaur, like most Ornithopods, most probably lived together in herds for protection from predators.

How long did a Fukuisaurus live?

The lifespan information of this Iguanodon Hadrosauroidea is unknown.

How did they reproduce?

Not much is known about the reproduction of these dinosaurs, although it is known that they would have been oviparous and the egg would have been fertilized inside the body of the female dinosaur through copulation. It has not been confirmed, but they would probably have used visual displays to attract a mate. Since these dinosaurs were known to live in herds, it is believed that paternal care was involved after young were born and they lived in groups for added protection from carnivores.

What did a Fukuisaurus look like?

Although this dinosaur was an Iguanodontian Ornithopod and shared most of its physical features with this clade, it was significantly smaller. These dinosaurs were described by Kobayashi and Azuma who claimed that they were generally bipedal but were optionally quadrupedal as well. The reason why they could make this shift is that their hands were designed so that they were inflexible to a certain extent and the central digit would bear their weight. Since these dinosaurs of Fukui shared similarities with iguanas, the Fukuisaurus skull was also narrow but large. Based on remains, skull movements of this dinosaur were also sort of restricted with the maxilla bearing teeth being greatly fused with the vomer.

How many bones did a Fukuisaurus have?

The Fukuisaurus tetoriensis was described by just a partial fragmented skull and a right sternal plate and so the exact count and structure of bones are unknown, although recent discoveries have enabled far more study on the complete skeleton of this dinosaur.

How did they communicate?

Communication mtehods of this Ornithopoda have not been studied by scientists.

How big was a Fukuisaurus? 

The Fukuisaurus was estimated to grow 14.7 ft (4.5 m) in length and around 5.2 ft (1.6 m) in height, around half the height of a liger, and was therefore not too large for a dinosaur of its group.

How fast could a Fukuisaurus move?

The locomotive speed of a juvenile Ornithopod is estimated to have been 2.3-3.4 mph (3.8-5.5 kph) which is more than 10 times slower than the speed of a hyena.

How much did a Fukuisaurus weigh?

Based on fossils of its skeleton, a fully grown adult Fukuisaurus tetoriensis would have weighed around 880 lb (400 kg), which is around four times heavier than the kob.

What were the male and female names of the species?

The name of the male and female of this dinosaur from Japan is the same, which is the Fukuisaurus.

What would you call a baby Fukuisaurus?

Young dinosaurs of this species would be called juveniles.

What did they eat? 

The Fukuisaurus was an Ornithopod which means it was a herbivore. Considering it was an Iguanodont, it would have fed from ground-level shrubs and foliage of trees. David Norman suggested that it would have fed on trees such as conifers, cycads, horsetails, and angiosperm plants.

How aggressive were they?

Considering these dinosaurs were herbivores, it is highly unlikely that they were aggressive unless threatened or during a territorial dispute.

Did you know...

In 2012, Ramírez-Velasco et al. speculated that the Fukuisaurus was a basal Hadrosaurid.

How did the Fukuisaurus get its name?

The Fukuisaurus tetoriensis got its name from where it was discovered by Yoshitsugu Kobayashi and Yoichi Azuma, the Fukui Prefecture in Japan. Fukuisaurus means Fukui lizard. Tetori was the specific group this fossil was found in.

What is unique about the Fukuisaurus' teeth?

First, let's start by understanding the general anatomy of their jaws. Considering these were Iguanodonts, they would have shared similar features with teeth of the modern-day iguanas, but teeth would have been much larger. In case a replacement tooth was required, this dinosaur had a single tooth for replacement at every position. Most studies of Iguanodont dinosaurs suggest that they had around 29 teeth in the upper jaw, on each side, and around 25 in the lower jaw. This is because teeth in the maxilla were narrower than ones in the mandible. Iguanodont dinosaurs are also thought to have had a muscular or non-muscular cheek-like build around their jaws because of deeply inset tooth rows from the outer surface of the jaws. These structures are suggested to have been storage space in their mouths. Another striking feature observed in fossils of the Fukuisaurus is that its maxilla was so well-fused to the vomer that it would not have been able to make the sideways chewing motion with its jaws.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Aucasaurus facts and Aegyptosaurus facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Fukuisaurus coloring pages.

Image one by Kumiko.

Image two by Miracusaurs.