Length
InferredAbout 4 m (Chicago profile)
The laboratory profile gives 3.96 m, while NHM lists 3 m. Neither establishes a complete adult species range or specifies the represented individual's maturity. [D2] [D1]
EXHIBIT 56
Herrerasaurus
Herrerasaurus
Strong grasping arms and long recurved teeth near dinosaur origins.
TWO WAYS TO PICTURE THE PAST
Science & the silver screen
Compare the evidence with the familiar movie image. The illustrations are not to a shared scale.
01 / SCIENTIFIC RECONSTRUCTION
An animal, reconstructed
Image unavailableHerrerasaurus life reconstruction by TotalDino. Early bipedal meat eater with long recurved teeth, strong arms and grasping hands; long balancing tail and forward-held body.This scientific picture needs an internet connection. Its source link and image notes remain available.
The artist identifies this reconstruction as Herrerasaurus. Fossil-informed anatomy: Early bipedal meat eater with long recurved teeth, strong arms and grasping hands; long balancing tail and forward-held body. File identifies the genus only. Colour, integument and soft-tissue contours are artistic reconstruction. [1] [2]
Herrerasaurus TD.png — TotalDino. CC BY-SA 4.0. Remote source artwork displayed without additional cropping; Wikimedia supplies any display-size derivative.
Scientific picture served by Wikimedia · internet connection required.
02 / MOVIE-STYLE INTERPRETATION
A cinematic imagination
Image unavailableOriginal cinematic Herrerasaurus picture: Cinematic early Herrerasaurus predator with strong grasping arms, recurved teeth and a long balancing tail; forward-held bipedal body, restrained speculative skin texture.The exhibit and its image notes remain available.
Cinematic early Herrerasaurus predator with strong grasping arms, recurved teeth and a long balancing tail; forward-held bipedal body, restrained speculative skin texture. Dramatic lighting, surface detail and scenery are artistic choices. This is an original cinema-inspired picture, rather than a frame from a film or a documented fossil locality.
Original artwork · artistic interpretation.
Scientific view: credited paleoart interpreting fossil evidence, served online by Wikimedia. Movie-style view: Original artistic interpretation. Colors, soft tissues and settings involve reconstruction.
PERIODLate Triassic[1]
DIETCarnivoreInferred from related anatomy [1]
TOTAL LENGTHNot established hereComparable estimate unavailable
FOSSILS FOUNDIschigualasto, Argentina[2]
MEET THE ANIMAL
Meet Herrerasaurus
Herrerasaurus was an early dinosaur from Late Triassic Argentina, around 230 million years ago. Its sharp teeth and claws identify the equipment of a predator, rather than a plant grinder. The reconstructed body walked on two legs. Herrerasaurus is useful for imagining the first chapters of dinosaur evolution, when these animals were already developing different body plans and ways of feeding. [S1] [S2]
A skull of Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis found in 1988 provides detailed evidence beyond a general body outline. Researchers scanned this specimen to examine its structure digitally, and the fossil is held in San Juan, Argentina. A scan lets scientists investigate internal anatomy and compare bones without taking the skull apart. Such evidence sharpens reconstructions while leaving many questions about the living animal unanswered. [S1]
Museum length references describe an animal several metres long, but differ without establishing a measured adult range. A reconstructed skeleton represents a particular interpretation, rather than the exact size of every Herrerasaurus. Its carnivorous identity is clearer than details such as the particular prey it preferred or the speed at which it could run. [D1] [S1]
Overview sources
- Herrerasaurus ischigualastensisDigital Morphology, University of Texas at Austin · Accessed 2026-10-04Inspected: page
- Science & Nature: A Walk with the Dinosaurs (Winter 2010)Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh · Accessed 2026-10-04Inspected: page
PREHISTORIC ANIMAL DOSSIER
A life in profile.
The animal, the evidence, and the questions still open.
Herrerasaurus was an early two-legged meat eater with strong grasping arms and long backward-curving teeth. A skull found by a joint American–Argentinian team in 1988 sharpened its anatomical profile.
Profile scope: Genus: Herrerasaurus; Chicago skeletal profile specifically concerns H. ischigualastensis.
- Time
- Late Triassic
- Fossil locations in this exhibit
- Ischigualasto, Argentina
How to read the evidence
Source supported identifies a description documented by the cited source. Inferred marks a reconstruction or functional estimate. Debated marks competing interpretations. Not established means the sources reviewed for this dossier do not support a firm conclusion; it does not mean a behavior never occurred.
A size reference is an estimate, not a population range. Nesting evidence does not by itself establish courtship, mate choice, or lifelong pairing.
Mass
Not establishedNot established here
The reviewed sources do not establish a verified body-mass estimate for Herrerasaurus.
Diet and feeding
InferredMeat eater with recurved teeth
The teeth and grasping arms support predatory feeding. Exact prey selection is not established in the reviewed profiles. [D2]
Habitat and setting
Source supportedLate Triassic Ischigualasto fossil setting
Chicago places the remains in the Ischigualasto region of Argentina. This is a fossil occurrence rather than a demonstrated habitat preference. [D2]
Movement
InferredTwo-legged walking
The laboratory reconstructs bipedal locomotion. A specific running speed is not established here. [D2]
Distinctive anatomy
Source supportedStrong arms, grasping hands and recurved teeth
The 1988 skull preserves backward-curving teeth. Using the hands to seize or rake prey is a functional inference. [D2]
Reproduction & life together
Reproduction and care
Not establishedNot established here
The reviewed sources do not establish nest structure, incubation or parental care for Herrerasaurus.
Courtship and mating
Not establishedNot established here
The reviewed sources do not establish a courtship sequence or mating system for Herrerasaurus.
Social behavior
Not establishedNot established here
The reviewed sources do not establish usual group size or lasting social organization for Herrerasaurus.
Dossier research & sources
Sources and inspection notes for the claims in this profile.
- Herrerasaurus — Dino DirectoryNatural History Museum, London · Accessed 2026-10-02Genus profile; rounded educational estimates, usually without specimen, method or maturity. · Inspected: page
- Herrerasaurus ischigualastensisUniversity of Chicago; Paul Sereno Fossil Lab · Accessed 2026-10-02H. ischigualastensis skeletal/cast profile, 1988 skull and functional reconstruction. · Inspected: page
THE STORY IN THE FOSSILS
Meet Herrerasaurus.
Herrerasaurus lived in the Ischigualasto region of Argentina near the beginning of dinosaur history. Its two-legged skeleton carried strong arms and hands suited to grasping. The University of Chicago account links those hands to seizing or raking prey, a functional interpretation of the bones. [2]
A joint American–Argentinian expedition led by Paul Sereno discovered an informative skull in 1988. It preserved long, backward-curving teeth consistent with meat eating. The directory gives about 228 million years as a reference age, while the laboratory account summarizes a broader 230–225 million-year interval. [2] [1]
A note on scale and time
We have not established a comparable adult total-length estimate for this taxon in this draft. Specimen measurements in the text describe those individuals. The cited dates are approximately 228 million years ago. Approximate reference age, represented by equal endpoints; not a demonstrated full temporal range. Unknown does not mean zero.
Sources & editorial notes
Sources and evidence notes for this exhibit.
- HerrerasaurusNatural History Museum, London · Accessed 2026-10-02Fact panel and Taxonomic details: genus; Late Triassic approx. 228 Ma, Argentina, carnivorous, type species ischigualastensis. Unscoped 3 m estimate omitted.
- HerrerasaurusUniversity of Chicago, Paul Sereno laboratory · Accessed 2026-10-02H. ischigualastensis account: 230–225 Ma Ischigualasto, bipedal meat eater, strong grasping arms, 1988 skull with recurved teeth. Page's 3.96 m length and cast dimensions do not define adult ranges.
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