Fun Morelladon Facts For Kids

Morelladon is a genus of dinosaurs that was named after the place in which the fossils of the animal were found. The location in Spain where the fossils were found is called Morella, while the latter part of the name translates to "tooth". Quite simply, the name of this dinosaur is "Morella tooth"!

Named by paleontologists such as Ivan Narváez and Francisco Ortega, this animal is known for a feature that resembles a present-day camel. The Morelladon had a ridge or hump that ran almost throughout its back!

Morelladon Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Morelladon'?

The Morelladon pronunciation sounds somewhat like "Mow-rail-la-don".

What type of dinosaur was a Morelladon?

The Morelladon was an ornithopod dinosaur of the genus, that was named in 2015.

In which geological period did the Morelladon roam the earth?

The geological period during which the Morelladon is estimated to have lived on the surface of the earth is the early cretaceous. If you happen to be wondering how long ago that was, you will be surprised to know that these animals were found on earth no less than 130 million years ago!

When did the Morelladon become extinct?

The exact timeline of the extinction of this animal is not known to paleontologists, and hence, the longevity of the species on the planet is something that is up for speculations and various interpretations. However, we do know that the cretaceous period of earth ended about 66 million years ago!

This gives us a fair idea of how when these dinosaurs may have become extinct if they did manage to survive till the end of the cretaceous period.

Where did a Morelladon live?

The hump or sail on the back of a Morelladon has suggested paleontologists that this dinosaur species may have lived in dey areas where they would have required a store for water - much like we can see in the case of camels in the present day.

It is therefore widely assumed that the herbivorous Morelladon beltrani would have lived in semi-arid, or slightly dry areas where they would at least find some plants to munch on!

What was a Morelladon's habitat?

The fossil remains of the Morelladon, which includes a partial skeleton, were found in the early cretaceous of Morella, Spain. This makes it very apparent that this ornithopod would have been endemic to the island or archipelago that present-day Europe is assumed to have been during the early cretaceous period.

This habitat range also allowed paleontologists to observe the kind of climatic regions that similar genera of dinosaurs, such as Iguanodon, would have preferred.

Who did a Morelladon live with?

While the discovery of the Morelladon beltrani skeleton did not help with understanding the behavior that these dinosaurs may have evolved to adapt to, it can be assumed that they would have enjoyed living in small or large packs.

This is simply because herbivorous dinosaurs are assumed to have been quite social with the other dinosaurs of the same or related genera.

How long did a Morelladon live?

The average lifespan of this dinosaur from the early cretaceous of Morella, Spain, is yet to be understood. The discovery of a few ribs and vertebrae does not provide sufficient content to analyze an ancient animal for the lifespan that it may have had.

At the same time, the longevity of the species of these dinosaurs from present-day Europe is also not known since they may have evolved during their stay on earth.

How did they reproduce?

Dinosaurs from all around the world are known to have been oviparous. This means that the Morella don too would have reproduced by laying eggs. However, we are yet to know if this dinosaur genus had any courting or nesting habits.

Morelladon Fun Facts

What did a Morelladon look like?

The most typical feature of the Morelladon is the ridge or hump that is estimated to have through the entire length of the body of this dinosaur. This animal had a long neural spine and medium-tall gait.

The fossil remains such as the ribs and sacral vertebrae tell us that this dinosaur would have been thought of no less than a best in the present day!

How many bones did a Morelladon have?

The total number of bones that an average Morelladon may have had is not known clearly, since only a partial skeleton of the animal has been discovered.

The parts of the animal that have been recovered from under the surface of earth include two rib pieces of the dorso-sacral vertebrae, seven dorsal vertebrae, and a sacrum, among others.

These bones do tell us a lot about the neural spine and other features of the body of this dinosaur, but hardly any light is shed on the total number of bones that may have been there in the entire body.

How did they communicate?

Dinosaurs from Europe and other parts of the world are known to have communicated through some form of a call, which was usually loud and harsh in the case of the herbivores of the location. Morelladon, too, is estimated to have had a loud call that would be used to communicate within the packs.

How big was a Morelladon?

The average length of a Morelladon dinosaur is estimated to be around 19.6 ft (6 m). If you are wondering how such a size would compare to that of other famous dinosaurs, you will be very amused to know that an average Tyrannosaurus Rex would be more than twice in length!

How fast could a Morelladon move?

The partial skeleton of the Morelladon doesn't provide any information regarding the agility of the animal, however, the fact that they weighed so much does tell us that these dinosaurs may not have been the fastest on their feet.

How much did a Morelladon weigh?

The weight of an average Morelladon beltrani is estimated to be around 2.2 short tons (2 tons)!

What were the male and female names of the species?

Since there are no distinct names for the two sexes of the Morelladon, we have decided to refer to them as the male Morelladon and female Morelladon.

What would you call a baby Morelladon?

The baby Morelladon would be called a hatchling since these animals are known to have been oviparous!

What did they eat?

The diet of this relative of Iguanodon is known to have been herbivorous. Dinosaurs of the Morelladon beltrani species used their beaks in order to snap plants and eat them.

How aggressive were they?

It is unlikely that a Morelladon would have been aggressive, even though it might admittedly be difficult to ignore the enormous size and threatening weight of this animal. The reason for this assumption is mostly based on the fact that herbivorous dinosaurs of the early cretaceous hardly had the features to suggest any threatening behavior.

Did you know...

Francisco Ortega, Ivan Narváez, and Miguel Gasulla are three of the few people that helped in the understanding of the species.

Morelladon is most closely related to Iguanodon.

The paleo-ecology of the Morelladon habitat is known to have been dry.

The discovery of the partial skeleton of this dinosaur assisted in concluding that the Iberian peninsula was rich in the early cretaceous.

What is unusual about the Morelladon?

The Morelladon is known to have had a ridged or sail-like back. This hump ran through almost the entire length of the body of the type species.

How was the Morelladon discovered?

The fossil remains of the Morelladon, including its seven vertebrae, two rib pieces, and a sacrum, were discovered in 2013. The discovery was made by teams of the National Distance Education University of Spain.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover!

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

*Please note that this is an Iguanodon, which is a related genus. If you have the illustration of a Morelladon, let us know at hello@kidadl.com.