Compsognathus

Compsognathus

Comp-sog-nath-us
Compsognathus Icon

Name meaning: Elegant Jaw

Time Period:Tithonian (End of the Jurassic) 150.8–145

Locations: Germany/France

Taxonomy: Theropoda-Compsognathidae

Subspecies: C.longipes

Characteristics ~ ~ ~ ~

Compsognathus could grow up to 4 feet one inch long and only weighed around 5 ½ pounds. Compsognathus is known and popularized for its small size, but was the largest dinosaur in its environment, sharing the limestone beds where it was found with other flying animals like Archeopteryx, Rhamphorhynchus, and Pterodactylus, and sea creatures like fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. It has been found with fossilized remains of a small lizard called Bavarisaurus in its stomach, but it probably also ate other small animals, insects, and fish.

Compsognathus Staches up a Young Archaeopteryx Archaeopteryx Staches up a Young Compsognathus

History ~ ~ ~ ~

Compsognathus BSP AS I 563 was discovered in 1859 and named by Johann A. Wagner. The German specimen was a juvenile, only around 30 inches long. Darwinist Thomas Henry Huxley believed Compsognathus was directly related to Archeopteryx because they were both from the same formation and were very small. Believing that over time, Compsognathus grew feathers and was an earlier ancestor to birds. But that is not the case. They are not that phylogenetically close and lived in the same place at the same time. Compsognathus was also, at the time of its discovery the smallest dinosaur. Compsognathus corallestris is an invalid species from the French specimen of Compsognathus. The cracks on the rocks lead scientists to believe that the forelimbs of this Compsognathus supported flippers, which made some sense since it lived in an island chain, and the animal likely did not use its arms that much.

Compsognathus Corallestris Compsognathus German Specimen Compsognathus French Specimen

Media Deptictions

Jurassic Franchise Compsognathus is the premier small dinosaur of the series. In them, they are depicted as the most relentless hunters out of all the dinosaurs, attacking humans and prey multiple times larger than themselves in massive packs that could probably reach triple digits.

Species Profile - Compsognathus