Saltopus was a very small bipedal dinosauriform, roughly 23 inches (60 centimeters) long, not much bigger than a rabbit, that was discovered in Scotland. It was a late Triassic carnivore. Probably the size of a small cat, with hollow bones like those of a bird, it may have weighed in at around two pounds (one kilogram), and had five-fingered hands and a long head with dozens of sharp teeth. None of this can be known for certain, as Saltopus is known only from very poor material (mostly hind limb fragments). The Triassic is a geologic period that extends from about 251 to 200 Ma (million years ago). ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive. ... An ammonite fossil Eocene fossil fish of the genus Knightia Petrified wood fossil formed through permineralization. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Myxozoa (slime animals) Superphylum Deuterostomia (blastopore becomes anus) Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicates Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Superclasses Anapsida Eurapsida Diapsida Reptilia was an old kingdom or phylum classification that has since been divided into 4 classes. ... Superorders Dinosauromorpha    Lagosuchians    Dinosauria Pterosauromorpha    Pterosauria    Scleromochlus    Sharovipteryx Ornithodira is a division of the Archosauromorpha (and perhaps Archosauria) clade. ... Orders Saurischia    Sauropodomorpha    Theropoda Ornithischia Dinosaurs are giant reptiles that dominated the terrestrial ecosystem for most of their 165-million year existence. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... Friedrich von Huene (March 22, 1875 – April 4, 1969) was a German paleontologist who named more dinosaurs in the early 20th century than anyone else in Europe. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Superorders Dinosauromorpha    Lagosuchians    Dinosauria Pterosauromorpha    Pterosauria    Scleromochlus    Sharovipteryx Ornithodira is a division of the Archosauromorpha (and perhaps Archosauria) clade. ... Motto: (Eng: No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots 2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen of the UK Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by... The Triassic is a geologic period that extends from about 251 to 200 Ma (million years ago). ... The lion is a well-known, truly carnivorous member of the order Carnivora. ...

As small as it was, its carnivorous diet must have consisted primarily of scavenged carcasses or insects. It has been variously identified as a saurischian (lizard-hipped) dinosaur, a more advanced theropod, and a close relative of the herrerasaurs, but its taxonomy is in dispute because only fragmentary remains have been recovered. Some researchers, such as Paul (1988), have suggested it may represent a juvenile specimen of a coelophysid theropod such as Coelophysis or Procompsognathus. Rauhut and Hungerbühler (2000) suggest it is a primitive dinosauriform, not a true dinosaur, closely related to Lagosuchus. Groups Sauropodomorpha    Saturnalia    Prosauropoda    Sauropoda Theropoda    Eoraptor    Herrerasauridae    Ceratosauria    Tetanurae Saurischians (from the Greek Saurischia meaning lizard hip) are one of the two orders/branches of dinosaurs. ... Families See text Theropods (beast foot) are a group of bipedal, primarily carnivorous dinosaurs, belonging to the saurischian (lizard-hip) family. ... Genera Staurikosaurus Aliwalia Herrerasaurus Spondylosoma Chindesaurus ? Caseosaurus Herrerasaurs are among the oldest known dinosaurs, appearing in the fossil record about 228 million years ago (mid-Triassic). ... Look up taxonomy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Gregory S. Paul (born 1954) is a freelance paleontologist, author and illustrator. ... Genera Podokesaurus Pterospondylus Segisaurus Procompsognathus Coelophysis Megapnosaurus Coelophysids were a family of primitive carnivorous theropod dinosaurs. ... Binomial name Coelophysis bauri Cope, 1889 One of the earliest known dinosaurs, Coelophysis (see-law-FYS-iss) meaning hollow form in reference to its hollow bones (Greek koilos = hollow + physis = form) is a small, carnivorous biped from North America. ... Binomial name Procompsognathus triassicus Fraas, 1913 Paleo Template Project Life-sized model of Procompsognathus Triassicus Procompsognathus was once thought to be a small, speedy theropod dinosaur. ... Lagosauchus (Rabbit Crocodile) is not a dinosaur, and ,ironically, looks like neither a crocodile, nor a rabbit. ...

References

• von Huene, F.R. (1910). "Ein primitiver Dinosaurier aus der mittleren Trias von Elgin." Geol. Pal. Abh. n. s., 8:315-322.
• Paul, G.S. (1988). Predatory Dinosaurs of the World. New York: Simon and Schuster. 464 pp.
• Rauhut, O.M.W. and A. Hungerbühler. (2000). "A review of European Triassic theropods." Gaia 15. 75-88.

External links

• Saltopus in the Dino Directory