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Dryosaurus (dry - oh - sawr - rus) was an iguanodontid ornithopod dinosaur. They lived during in the Late Jurassic period. Its name meaning "Oak lizard", due to the vague oak shape of its cheek teeth. This diminutive herbivore is both swift and agile. Lacking any other defensive abilities, its only means of defense is to flee any predators. It lives in herds to guarantee early warning of nearby predators.[1]


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Wikipedia has a more detailed and comprehensive article on Dryosaurus



History[]

Jurassic Park[]

Dryosaurus is one of the 15 species of Mesozoic fauna created for Jurassic Park. 33 animals were created under the genetic revision version: 2.9, making them arguably the oldest dinosaurs in the park, at least in terms of lack of the need for genetic revision. The animals are mentioned to be dark green with mottled brown spots. An individual was described as 7 feet long and 500 pounds it is unknown whether it pertains to the whole species or just the individual.

The dinosaurs are first encountered in their enclosure, hypsilophodont highlands on the tour, housed alongside Nanosaurus, (a species then under the name Othnelia.) Both animals were first mentioned/appeared in the chapter The Park.

Dryosaurus would make several small appearances throughout the novel. The most notable appearance is in the chapter The Park when John Hammond, Gerry Harding, and several workmen are medically treating an animal before transporting it back to its paddock under the assumption that John Arnold had restored everything.

Dryosaurus was one of the species known to be capable of breeding behind the Jurassic Park staffs’ back. With an additional infant being found on the computer screens before the initial outbreak of dinosaurs during The Ingen Incident. All the 14 animals were killed during the events of the story with the remaining 14 being killed off by the Costa Rican government.

The Lost World[]

Dryosaurus, albeit not mentioned by name, was first seen on the marshy plain by the river to the south with the other herds of dinosaurs. The Dryosaurus were described as medium-sized, dark-green, lizard-like or gazelle-like animals, having perhaps twenty members in its herd and intermittently poking their large heads up above the grass along the river.[2]

Later on, as Sarah Harding regained consciousness and made her way through the island's jungle she encountered a herd of panicked, dark-green, lizard-like animals about four feet high that were running and leaping away from an attacking Velociraptor pack. Their panicked cries were reminiscent of yelping dogs. One of the animals knocked Sarah to the ground, but Sarah escaped the stampede by climbing onto a tree branch. One of the animals was taken down by the raptor pack. Based on their description, the animals in the herd were most likely Dryosaurus.[3] Interestingly enough, Hypsilophodon also appears in the novel and there are noticeably different descriptions of the two ornithopods.

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Jurassic Park (novel) Animals
ApatosaurusCearadactylusDilophosaurusDryosaurusEuoplocephalusHadrosaurusMaiasauraMeganeuraMicroceratusNanosaurusProcompsognathusStegosaurusStyracosaurusTriceratopsTyrannosaurus rexVelociraptor
The Lost World Dinosaurs
ApatosaurusCarnotaurusDryosaurusGallimimusHypsilophodonMaiasauraMussaurusOrnitholestesPachycephalosaurusParasaurolophusProcompsognathusStegosaurusTriceratopsTyrannosaurus rexVelociraptor
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