Josh Gregory - Plateosaurus

Published in the United States of America by Cherry Lake Publishing
Ann Arbor, Michigan
www.cherrylakepublishing.com

Content Adviser: Gregory M. Erickson, PhD, Paleontologist, Department of Biological Science,
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida

Reading Adviser: Marla Conn, Read With Me Now

Photo Credits: Cover and pages 8, 10, 16, and 18, Michael Rosskothen/Shutterstock.com;
page 4, The Natural History Museum/Alamy; page 6, Eva K. / tinyurl.com/kkbjx7d / CC-BY
SA-2.5; page 12, leonello calvetti/Shutterstock.com; page 14, Stocktrek Images, Inc./Alamy;
page 20, Funk Monk / tinyurl.com/kctcndd / CC-BY-SA-3.0.

Copyright 2016 by Cherry Lake Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any
form or by any means without written permission from the publisher.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Gregory, Josh, author.
Plateosaurus / by Josh Gregory.
pages cm.(Dinosaurs) (21st century junior library)
Summary: Learn all about the dinosaur known as Plateosaurus, from where it lived to
what it ate.Provided by publisher.
Audience: K to grade 3
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-63362-384-2 (lib. bdg.)ISBN 978-1-63362-412-2 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-1-63362-440-5 (pdf)ISBN 978-1-63362-468-9 (e-book)
1. PlateosaurusJuvenile literature. 2. DinosaursJuvenile literature. I. Title.
QE862.S3G7675 2016
567.913dc23
ISBN-13 978-1-68444-514-1 (e-book) 2014045657

Cherry Lake Publishing would like to acknowledge the work of
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
Please visit www.p21.org for more information.

Printed in the United States of America
Corporate Graphics
July 2015

Synchred Read-Along Version by:
Triangle Interactive LLC
PO Box 573
Prior Lake, MN 55372

CONTENTS

Plateosaurus was larger than many other dinosaurs
of its era.

What Was
Plateosaurus ?

H undreds of millions of years ago,
dinosaurs lived on Earth. Among them was
Plateosaurus. It was one of the biggest
dinosaurs of its time. But it was not a
fearsome hunter. Instead, it was a peaceful
plant eater.

This Plateosaurus skull can be seen at a museum
in Germany.

Like all dinosaurs, Plateosaurus is now
extinct . However, it was once common
in what is now Europe. Plateosaurus lived
between million and million years
ago. We know about it from studying its
fossils .

Look!

You can get a look at Plateosaurus fossils for yourself.
Many museums have dinosaur fossils. Some even have
entire Plateosaurus skeletons !

Plateosaurus had a long neck and tail.

What Did Plateosaurus
Look Like?

T he name Plateosaurus means broad
lizard. This is because the dinosaur was
very wide at the shoulders. Plateosaurus
was also very long. The largest ones found
were about feet (10 meters) long.
However, they were only around feet
(3 m) tall.

Experts think Plateosaurus walked on two legs.

Plateosaurus had a thick, heavy body.
It weighed almost 4,000 pounds (1,814
kilograms). That is heavier than a car! The
dinosaur had strong back legs to carry this
weight. Its front legs were smaller but still
powerful.

Experts have learned a lot about Plateosaurus s
size and shape from its skeleton.

Plateosaurus had a long tail and neck. Its
head was very small compared to the rest
of its body. It had a long, flat shape. The
dinosaurs mouth was curved.

Create!

Scientists arent sure what color Plateosaurus s skin
was. Draw your own picture of this dinosaur. Color it
in. Be creative with the colors you use!

Plateosaurus bites off a piece from
an evergreen plant.

How Did
Plateosaurus Live?

P lateosaurus was an herbivore .
This means it only ate plants. The dinosaurs
body was perfectly built to eat a lot of
leaves. Its long neck allowed it to reach
high up into the trees. It could also feed on
plants on the ground.

Plateosaurus teeth were made for snipping off and
shredding plants.

Plateosauruss teeth had jagged
edges. This helped the dinosaur tear
leaves off trees. Plateosaurus also had
thumbs on its front feet. Each thumb
ended in a long claw. These helped the
dinosaur gather leaves and branches.
They might also have helped it dig up
tasty roots.