Fun Teyuwasu Facts For Kids

Moumita Dutta
Oct 20, 2022 By Moumita Dutta
Originally Published on Mar 23, 2022
Edited by Luca Demetriou
Fact-checked by Sakshi Raturi
Teyuwasu facts are interesting to read for those interested in evolutionary biological sciences.
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Age: 3-18
Read time: 4.9 Min

Do you possess dinosaur affinities? Then here we have all the information on Teyuwasu. Teyuwasu was a species of Brazilian Triassic Dinosauria that lived during the late Triassic period.

They were one of the oldest species of dinosaurs that roamed the Earth. However, owing to that, the early evolution of many dinosaurs can be studied through the fossils of Teyuwasu. They were carnivorous in nature and small in size.

However, they were agile and quite fast compared to how fast they could move. They were oviparous in nature, which means they laid eggs to give birth to their young ones. Read on to know more about Teyuwasu.

Teyuwasu Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Teyuwasu'?

The phonetic pronunciation of Teyuwasu is 'Tei-u-a-su'.

What type of dinosaur was a Teyuwasu?

Teyuwasu was a species of saurischian dinosaur that belonged to the family of Herrerasauridae and genus Staurikosaurus.

In which geological period did the Teyuwasu roam the Earth?

Teyuwasu roamed the Earth during the Carnian age in the upper Triassic period, mainly around 237-227 million years ago.

When did the Teyuwasu become extinct?

Due to a lack of research, when exactly Teyuwasu became extinct is not known. They lived during the Carnian age in the late Triassic period.

There was a Carnian pluvial episode or event that happened during this age. This event kept occurring for a few million years, and many species of plants and animals evolved as the global climate kept changing. It can be assumed that Teyuwasu might have become extinct during that time around 233 million years ago.

Where did Teyuwasu live?

The two fossils of Teyuwasu that paleontologists have been able to find to date were from a locality within the Santa Maria Formation, which is a sedimentary rock formation in the Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil.

What was the Teyuwasus' habitat?

During the Triassic period, the climate of the Earth was hot and dry. The time Teyuwasu roamed the Earth, during the late Triassic period, the climate began to improve a little and became warm and wet while the habitat was starting to become full of greens. Teyuwasu was also terrestrial in nature, so they lived on land.

Who did the Teyuwasu live with?

It's hard to know whether Teyuwasu lived in herds or solitary lives. However, the only few Teyuwasu fossils that were discovered by paleontologists were from one single locality in Brazil, and there were only two different specimens. Hence, it can be assumed that Teyuwasu may not have lived in herds.

How long did a Teyuwasu live?

Owing to the very little amount of fossils unearthed and very little research done on Teyuwasu, the lifespan of the dinosaur is not known.

How did they reproduce?

Teyuwasu lived about 237-227 million years ago, and not a lot of Teyuwasu fossils have been found. Hence, very limited information could have been gathered from the fossils of these dinosaurs, so not much is known about their reproduction.

The only thing known to scientists is that Teyuwasu were oviparous in nature. Similar to present-day oviparous animals, like birds, insects, or fish, these theropods also laid eggs. After incubation, these eggs hatch, and the young Teyuwasu are born.

Teyuwasu Fun Facts

What did the Teyuwasu look like?

Teyuwasu was a small-sized dinosaur and was agile. They were bipedal with longer hindlimbs than forelimbs. Their limb was long but slender.

They had 13-14 teeth that were serrated and curved back towards their throats. Their tail was longer than their body, and when they ran, their tails stayed straight off the ground. They had a femur as long as their mandible and their head was large.

Teyuwasu had a long right femur and left femur.

How many bones did a Teyuwasu have?

Only two Teyuwasu specimens have been found to date. Most of the fossils found were in fragments, and many fossils from their body parts, like bones of their legs, could not be found, so it's impossible to know how many bones they had in total.

How did they communicate?

It's not known how exactly Teyuwasu communicated. However, in general, dinosaurs communicated through body language by dancing or courtship display and by making sounds, like hollering, hooting, singing, or making symbolic sounds of love.

How big was the Teyuwasu?

Teyuwasu was about 88.6 in (225 cm) in length and was around 31.5 in (80 cm) tall. They were slightly longer in size than Microraptor who was about 30.3 in (77 cm) in length.

How fast could a Teyuwasu move?

Teyuwasu were small and agile dinosaurs with long and slender limbs. They were also bipedal, unlike tetrapod specimens, like Pelycosaurs and more. Having these features led to the ability to move at a fast pace. Scientists also determined that they could move at quite a faster rate compared to their body size.

How much did a Teyuwasu weigh?

Teyuwasu weighed about 66 lb (30 kg) on average.

What were the male and female names of the species?

Males and females of the species had no specific names. Interestingly, researchers have still not been able to distinguish between male and female dinosaurs just from their fossils.

What would you call a baby Teyuwasu?

A baby Teyuwasu was called a juvenile.

How aggressive were they?

Owing to very little Teyuwasu fossil found, it's not known whether they were aggressive or not. Teyuwasu were carnivores, so they were aggressive towards other animals that they preyed on, and it can be assumed that they might have acted aggressively like any other animals when they were threatened.

Did You Know…

Skeletal reconstructions were done on the Teyuwasu fossils that were found, and according to testings done after these dinosaur assemblages, it was discovered that Teyuwasu has 14 distinctive features. One of these features was seen on their postcranial skeleton, where it showed that their cranial cervical vertebrae were lacking epipophyses.

Some other features were that they had an S-shaped shaft on their robust femur, their pubis was long as it was around two-thirds the length of their femur, their coracoid was large and had a plate-like shape, and more.

*We've been unable to source an image of Teyuwasu and have used an image of Lesothosaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Teyuwasu, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.

*We've been unable to source an image of Teyuwasu and have used an image of Edmontosaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Teyuwasu, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com.

Teyuwasu Facts

What Did They Prey On?

Smaller animals

what Type of Animal were they?

Carnivore

Average Litter Size?

Unknown

What Did They Look Like?

Small, long hindlimbs, short forelimbs, bipedal

How Much Did They Weigh?

66 lb (30 kg)

Skin Type

Scales

How Long Were They?

88.6 in (225 cm)

How Tall Were They?

31.5 in (80 cm)

Kingdom

Animalia

Class

Reptilia

Genus

Staurikosaurus

Family

Herrerasauridae

Scientific Name

Teyuwasu barberenai

What Were Their Main Threats?

Predators

What Habitat Did They Live In?

Brazil

Where Did They Live?

Brazil
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Written by Moumita Dutta

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

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Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.

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Fact-checked by Sakshi Raturi

Postgraduate Diploma in Management

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Sakshi RaturiPostgraduate Diploma in Management

Sakshi has experience in marketing strategy, social media planning, and recruiting industry experts for capstone projects, she has displayed a commitment to enhancing their skills and knowledge. She has won multiple awards, including a Certificate of Appreciation for Creative Writing and a Certificate of Merit for Immaculate Turut, and is always seeking new opportunities to grow and develop.

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