Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
Did you know that over 185 herbivore dinosaurs used to walk the earth? And that they make up 61.67% of the 300 genera of dinosaurs discovered?
That’s more than half of all the dinosaurs that ever existed! How cool is that, right? Additionally, being the majority in the dinosaur population means these plant-eating dinosaurs had certain characteristics that made them thrive in prehistoric life.
And that’s what we’ll get to know in this article about herbivore dinosaurs. We’ll get to know what made them flourish and stand out in their eras.
We’re excited to share with you what we know and have discovered about them. You’ll get to know 40 species of plant-eating dinosaurs as well! So let’s step into the adventure of discovery and begin!
What is a Herbivore Dinosaur?
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Herbivores are animals “that mainly eat plants” according to National Geographic. They have bodies that make feeding on vegetation possible.
These physical adaptations helped turn raw leaves, tree bark, and the like into digestible food. And it’s the same thing for herbivore dinosaurs.
What physical features were these, you ask? Easy giveaways are their teeth and skulls.
Herbivore Dinosaurs’ Teeth
Source by: dinosaur home
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) identifies discovered dinosaur fossils as herbivores based on their teeth. The museum shares that plant-eating dinosaurs had “wide, flat teeth with ridges…The teeth were used to mash and grind tough vegetation”. This was unlike carnivorous dinosaurs that sported sharp teeth and strong jaws.
Here’s a fun example that’s scientific proof too: A fossilized herbivore dinosaur (ankylosaur) was discovered in 2011 with its last meal still in its stomach!
Source by: Pixabay
The food paleontologists discovered inside were fossilized ferns, stems, and twigs. Gastroliths (gizzard stones) were also found in its fossil, another characteristic of a herbivorous dinosaur’s diet. Those helped it digest food better.
What’s amazing about this discovery published in the Royal Society Open Science is scientists now have solid proof of what dinosaurs ate. Scientists have never found a carnivorous dinosaur fossil with meat still in its teeth but they’re one step ahead with herbivores.
Herbivore Dinosaurs’ Skulls
Source by: AnimalWised
A picture paints a thousand words. But plant-eating dinosaurs’ skulls and digestive tracts can tell a million years’ worth of feeding strategies.
Did you know that paleontologists can determine if a dinosaur is a herbivore or a carnivore based on their skulls? The AMNH and this cool study published in Science Direct affirm this identification process.
The study in Science Direct by David Button and Lindsay Zanno summarized by Roger Benson and Paul Barrett share these observations about herbivorous dinosaurs’ skulls:
- Sauropods: compact skulls that sat on top of long necks because they used a process called gut fermentation to digest food
Hadrosauroid Ornithischians: skulls with jaws that were deep and had plenty of teeth because they chewed food first (mastication) to help their digestion unlike the sauropods who relied on gut fermentation
Source by: National Geographic
Additionally, a study in the Wiley Online Library by paleontologist Stephen Brusatte and his team of paleontologists observed these characteristics of leaf-eating dinosaurs’ (theropods) skulls:
- Deeps skulls with long snouts
- Had crests
- Were toothless
What’s the short story? We get to understand from these findings that the ways their skulls are shaped show how herbivore dinosaurs ate and processed their food. These make them distinct from carnivorous dinosaurs.
Types of Herbivore Dinosaurs
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
Have you ever wondered why there were so many kinds of dinosaurs, especially herbivorous ones? To be the majority population amongst all dinosaurs is pretty impressive!
Nicholas Longrich, paleontology lecturer in the University of Bath, gives three possible reasons for dinosaur diversity in The Conversation:
- Specialisation – dinosaurs didn’t prey on the same dinosaurs. This enabled different species to live together and diversify because they weren’t competing with each other for food. Cue carnivores and herbivores.
- Localization – different species lived in different places. Not all dinosaurs lived in North America, some lived in Asia. This gave lesser chances for competition for food and wiping out each other’s species impliedly.
- Speciation – dinosaurs were able to evolve quickly because of changes in their environments and their fellow dinosaurs.
Incredible insights, right? It’s no wonder that there are over 185 herbivorous dinosaurs to have ever existed. And more are yet to be discovered!
So we’ll be sharing a list of herbivores with 40 awesome dinosaurs to give you a glimpse of how amazing plant-eating dinosaurs are. Check them out below!
Small Herbivore Dinosaurs
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
Most dinosaurs began as teeny tiny creatures. But why did some grow large while some remained small like the 10 small herbivore dinosaurs in this section?
Here’s an insightful thought from Science Alert:
“since even the most gigantic dinosaurs begin life as tiny hatchlings, they could be using different resources as they were growing up – occupying the space in ecosystems where smaller species might otherwise flourish.”
Limited food and other resources probably meant limited growth for some dinosaurs. But they thrived in their prehistoric times despite that. Take a look at these amazing small herbivore dinosaurs that survived and thrived amidst their competitive times!
#1 Albertadromeus
Source by: Dinosaur Database
The Albertadromeus was a quick-footed small herbivore dinosaur from Alberta, Canada that’s the smallest one in the country. It’s just 1.6m long and only 16kg light.
#2 Agilisaurus
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
Its very name speaks of its ability. The Agilisaurus’ name given by scientist Guangzhao Peng came from the Latin word “agilis” which means “agile bipedal animal”.
It’s a fast two-footed 1.5-meter long herbivore dinosaur that could have walked on its hands when looking for food. It may also have lived in burrows.
#3 Atlascopcosaurus
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
Did you know this three-meter-long leaf-eating dinosaur is a relative of Aladar the Iguanodon from the Disney movie “Dinosaur”? The Atlascopcosaurus is from Iguanodontia which is the same genus that Iguanodons belong to. Its discovery helped scientists understand how Tyrannosauruses evolved through the years.
#4 Archaeoceratops
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
Herbivore dinosaurs’ looks are as diverse as their species. The Archaeoceratops had a beak shaped like a parrot’s, a chiseled face, and even a frill at the back of its head.
It’s a small herbivorous dinosaur that’s only as long as 1.3m. Its name means “ancient horned face”. This may be inspired by it being “the most primitive taxon of the neoceratopsian clade” according to Hai-Lu You, the scientist who studied its fossil.
#5 Liaoceratops
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
What fascinates scientists about small herbivore dinosaurs is how their discoveries shed light on dinosaur evolution. The Liaoceratops is one such example.
How? Its physical features of a beak and neck frill helped scientists understand better how the ceratopsian group split into Psittacosaurids and Neoceratopsians which included Triceratops.
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
This one-foot tall dinosaur helped them understand how the famous Triceratops came to be. Awesome!
#6 Micropachycephalosaurus
Source by: pin.it
This herbivore dinosaur might not really be related to the famous Pachycephalosaurus based on recent studies and be ceratopsian instead. But it’s still pretty interesting because of its unique look.
The Micropachycephalosaurus was a bipedal herbivore dinosaur that had a very thick skull and small stature. It’s as small as 0.6 meters only!
#7 Oryctodromeus
Source by: Flickr
Another important insight thanks to small plant-eating dinosaurs is how these prehistoric creatures used burrows as homes. The discovery of the 2.1-meter long Oryctodromeus inside a burrow together with the physical features of its bones proved that kind of lifestyle.
#8 Parksosaurus
Source by: Primal Rift
Bipedaled, swift, and possibly burrowing – these are quite common characteristics among small herbivorous dinosaurs. The three-meter long Parkososaurus from Canada’s Horseshoe Canyon Formation is no exception as it had these characteristics too. Add to those its horned beak and powerful limbs to complete the picture.
#9 Psittacosaurus
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
What’s a cross between a parrot and a lizard? The short answer is the Psittacosaurus. Its name means “parrot lizard” inspired by the shape of its skull and body. Consequently, this inspired our realistic Psittacosaurus puppet too!
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
Lastly, this two-meter long herbivore dinosaur shares the same group as Triceratops, the Ceratopsian dinosaurs according to the AMNH.
#10 Yinlong
Source by: ArtStation
The Yinlong is the granddaddy of all ceratopsian dinosaurs because it’s the oldest known of its kind. The “hidden dragon” lived 159 million years ago (MYA) and was a bipedalled, 1.2-meter long herbivore dinosaur.
Summary of Small Herbivore Dinosaurs
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
Here’s a quick table with info from the Natural HIstory Museum summarizing the kinds of small herbivore dinosaurs we just learned about for easy reference.
Long-Necked Herbivore Dinosaurs
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
Sauropods are the next well-known dinosaurs after the famous T. rex and Velociraptor. They’re the dinosaur group that Little Foot from Land Before Time and Arlo from The Good Dinosaur belong to.
These famous plant-eating dinosaurs’ small-skulls, long necks, and gigantic bodies lend to its fascinating appeal. You just can’t help but stare wide-eyed at them like we do whenever we see a picture of the world’s largest herbivore dinosaur — the Argentinosaurus.
Everything has a purpose including herbivore dinosaurs’ physical appearance as bewildering as they look. One good purpose is growth. But how?
Long-necked Herbivore Dinosaurs’ Growth & Physical Appearance
Source by: unsplash.com
The sauropods’ small heads, long necks, gigantic torso all worked together to help feed the hungry dinosaur. Scientists David Button and Lindsay Zanno observed from their study on herbivore dinosaurs in Science Direct that sauropods used them in these ways:
- Their skulls as an entryway for food (no chewing action here!)
- The length of their necks as space so they can get more food as their mouths free up
- Their guts to process the food (gut fermentation)
This consequently helped it grow on top of having an abundance of nutritious plants within reach. Plants flourished thanks to the Mesozoic Era’s warm climate and 4x higher carbon dioxide levels according to BBC’s Science Focus magazine,
Long-Necked Herbivore Dinosaurs’ Growth & Superfood
Source by: unsplash.com
The question that then begs to be answered is “what kind of plants did sauropods eat that got them so big?” Science Mag shares a study by Carol Gee from Germany’s University of Bonn.
She and her team conducted a study that found the humble horsetail plant to be the likely superfood that helped the sauropods grow. The horsetail plant was common during the age of the dinosaurs and was found to give the most energy compared to other greens. Their study included even modern plants which were outpowered by the horsetail.
Source by: YouTube
There were still small sauropods, of course. Species like the Brachytrachelopan and the Europasaurus are good examples according to ThoughtCo.
But there’s still no direct answer to give a clear picture for the diversity in size despite all the findings. The Smithsonian Magazine has a good observation about this mystery from their article on a study about sauropod size:
“there was no single cause for the observed trend in body size, but rather an intertwined mass of pressures and constraints which shaped the evolution of these dinosaurs—a constant interplay between what was evolutionarily possible and what was advantageous to local conditions at a given time.”
Source by: search.creativecommons.org
What an enigmatic puzzle sauropods are, aren’t they? Check out these 10 fascinating long-necked herbivore dinosaurs that will inspire your imagination.
#11 Anchisaurus
Source by: James Field Illustrations
Did you know that long-necked herbivore dinosaurs were able to walk on just two legs during the Early Jurassic Period? The Anchisaurus is proof of just that as it’s able to run on just its two legs when needed.
#12 Alamosaurus
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
Curious to know what North America’s biggest dinosaur is? Look no further because the Alamosaurus from Texas is the winner because of its towering size of 98 feet! This herbivore dinosaur sure could go miles and miles with its length!
#13 Argentinosaurus
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
If the Alamosaurus is the largest dinosaur in North America, the Argentinosaurus is the largest dinosaur in the world.
And we’re not just talking about herbivores, we’re talking about all dinosaurs and even all animals. Cool, isn’t it?
This herbivore dinosaur was even larger than the blue whale because it’s as long as 130 feet! No wonder it’s the largest herbivore dinosaur in the world!
#14 Apatosaurus
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
Another giant in the sauropod family is the Apatosaurus. This great big herbivore dinosaur grew as long as 69 feet (21m)! Its name – which means “deceptive lizard” – came from its bones being mistaken for a mosasaur’s — an equally large prehistoric aquatic animal.
The Apatosaurus’ astounding size inspired the lifelike details of our realistic Apatosaurus puppet. You can carry one of the world’s largest dinosaurs with this one!
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
#15 Brachiosaurus
Source by: Behance
You would be wondering what’s the difference among sauropods by now since they look similar to each other. A good example is the giraffe-like Brachiosaurus.
Its front legs are longer than other sauropods according to Live Science. These also made the back of this herbivore dinosaur incline and its neck point up which resulted in its giraffe-like posture.
#16 Diplodocus
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
This herbivore dinosaur’s skeleton probably looks familiar to you. Why?
Because the skeleton of the Diplodocus carnegii is the world’s most famous dino bones. Its claim to fame is due to its casts being sent to museums worldwide by philanthropist and industrialist Andrew Carnegie.
This helped the dinosaur get into the public eye around the world. And for many in the 20th century, this was the first dinosaur they’ve ever seen.
#17 Giraffatitan
Source by: A Dinosaur A Day
Walking around a herbivore dinosaur the size of a Giraffatitan would be awesome! This dinosaur was as long as 80 feet!
#18 Mamenchisaurus
Source by: ThoughtCo
The Mamenchisaurus is one of the largest dinosaurs of the world. But what makes this herbivore dinosaur standout? The Mamenchisaurus is the dinosaur with the longest neck (30 feet!) in proportion to their bodies according to the AMNH.
#19 Omeisaurus
Source by: search.creativecommons.org
This is a leaf-eating dinosaur that’s one of the smaller ones. There was a fossil discovered of the Omeisaurus that measured only 35 feet.
#20 Vulcanodon
Source by: A Dinosaur A Day
Dinosaur names are an easy giveaway of the place where it was found and its perceived appearance. The Vulcanodon’s name means “volcano tooth”. It was given such a name because it was found near lava flows and was thought to have had sharp knife-like teeth.
This herbivore dinosaur is also one of the smaller sauropods because its fossil was only 36 feet long.
Summary of Long-Necked Herbivore Dinosaurs
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
Check out this table for an easy summary of all the sauropods we just got to know.
Armored Herbivore Dinosaurs
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
Armored, heavily built, and with clubbed tails to match (for some) – you don’t put armored herbivore dinosaurs in a corner. All the other dinosaurs in the Mesozoic neighborhood should beware unless they want to get a tough beating.
Thyreophora, or most commonly known as armored dinosaurs, are creatures whose bodies were covered with spikes and plates. Those served as their defense against preying enemies and as protection from the elements.
Source by: search.creativecommons.org
But despite their formidable looks, the majority of them were leaf-eating. Their diet consisted mostly of plants on the ground and ferns according to the discovery of an ankylosaur fossil mentioned by National Geographic.
What an interesting picture of a dinosaur, right? Just when you thought the heavily protected dinosaurs were meat-eating, they challenge our current views of dinosaurs and prove that they aren’t.
So here are 10 awesome armored leaf-eating dinosaurs you wouldn’t want to miss knowing.
#21 Ankylosaurus
Source by: search.creativecommons.org
This armored herbivore dinosaur is perhaps the most famous of all. We have a good guess that it’s the first one that popped in your mind when we mentioned “armored dinosaurs”.
The Ankylosaur’s iconic spiked body and clubbed tail are due to osteoderms that covered its skin. Osteoderms are made of “compact bone” according to Live Science. Those bony deposits consequently help give the Ankylosaur its defensive capabilities and appearance.
#22 Gastonia
Source by: Flickr
Did you know that not all armored dinosaurs had clubs on their tails? They had extra-large vertical spikes on their shoulders instead like the Gastonia. This herbivore dinosaur used its shoulder spikes to threaten opponents.
#23 Gargoyleosaurus
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
Wondering why the spikes on this armored herbivore dinosaur aren’t as intimidating as the Ankylosaurus’? That’s because the Gargoylesaurus was its ancestor.
It lived in the Late Jurassic period and was just starting to develop the armor on its body which would appear through evolution later on.
#24 Gobisaurus
Source by: ArtStation
The Gobisaurus is a herbivore dinosaur that was found by the Sino-Soviet Expeditions in 1959-1960. Its discovery was important because it helped scientists understand the evolution of the Ankylosauridae family from the earliest known ancestor to the last known one.
#25 Hesperosaurus
Source by: Additional Creatures Wiki
The Hesperosaurus is the ancient of ancients when it comes to American stegosauruses as it’s the country’s oldest known stegosaurus. The herbivore dinosaur’s skeleton is approximately 156 millions years old.
#26 Nodosaurus
Not a lot is known about the Nodosaurus except for the fact that it’s a herbivore dinosaur and it’s related to Ankylosaurs. But light will be shed on this ancient creature as an incredibly well-preserved fossil was found in 2017.
And it’s not merely bones that were discovered. Skin, armor, and possible food remnants were found too! All these will give light to our understanding of the Nodosaurus as research progresses.
#27 Sauropelta
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
Another species of armored herbivore dinosaurs with huge spines jutting out of its body like Gastonia are the Sauropelta. The difference is that the spines are from their necks unlike the Gastonia’s which are from their shoulders.
#28 Scutellosaurus
Source by: Dinosaurs Pictures and Facts
The Scutellosaurus may be small (3.9 ft) but its discovery is worth the reckoning. This herbivore dinosaur is one of the Thyreopora’s earliest ancestors. Its discovery helped show how armored dinosaurs evolved during the Mesozoic Era.
#29 Stegosaurus
Have you ever been curious what the plates on the Stegosaurus’s back were for? Prof. Paul Barrett, a researcher at the Natural History Museum, shares that these plant-eating dinosaurs may have used them for display.
Why? It may have been a display to show their strength or attractiveness. Another possible purpose is to help it control its body temperature (thermoregulation).
On the other hand, paleontologist Darren Naish shares different views from the scientific community in his article in Scientific American. He says that most members think that thermoregulation may have been possible. But a more likely and more accepted purpose is that Stegosaurus used their famous back plates for display.
Who’s stronger and more attractive are determined by looks just like modern animals do. So here’s a pretty good picture of what it may have looked like back in the day with these realistic and animatronic Stegosauruses
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
Quick Trivia: the four long spikes at the Stegosaurus’ tail that’s used to protect itself against predators is called a thagomizer according to The Smithsonian.
#30 Tsagantegia
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
Did you know that there are two ways animals’ express herbivory? One is called browsing and the other is grazing.
The Tsagantegia used browsing as a feeding strategy as determined from its rostrum that’s shaped like a shovel. This means that this armored herbivore dinosaur fed on non-grass and high growing plants like shrubs and leaves. Grazing focuses on eating grass or plants closer to the ground.
Summary of Armored Herbivore Dinosaurs
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
Here’s an easy summary of all the armored plant-eating dinosaurs we just got to know.
Horned Herbivore Dinosaurs
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
Can you guess what group of dinosaurs does Cera from Land Before Time, Baby Bop from Barney, and Trixie from Toy Story 3 belong to? You may not know exactly but we have a good guess that you know they’re all Triceratops.
The Triceratops belong to a group of dinosaurs called Ceratopsia. They’re leaf-eating dinosaurs whose skulls sported the classic look of horns and frills.
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
But what were they for? Scientists Andrew Farke, Ewan Wolff, and Darren Tanke in the science journal PLOS ONE say they’re most likely for combat and display.
You may have noticed Ceratopsians had parrot-like beaks too on top of horns and frills. The beaks helped these herbivore dinosaurs break pieces of plants as they scoured for food according to the AMNH. Additionally, they may have used them to grind up the tough plant material they fed on, suggests the University of California Museum of Paleontology.
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
It’s fascinating getting to know the parts that make up the whole of these famous plant-eating dinosaurs, isn’t it? So check out these 10 interesting species of Ceratopsians to get a bigger picture of these beloved dinosaurs.
#31 Albertaceratops
Source by: YouTube
This horned herbivore dinosaur was a special find when it was discovered because it’s the first of its kind that had long brow horns. Now what about long horns?
The subfamily under Ceratopsia it belongs to, Centrosaurinae, usually had short brow horns. To quote Science Daily, this was important because it “…sheds exciting new light on the evolutionary history of the Ceratopsidae dinosaur family.”
#32 Anchiceratops
Source by: Renderosity
Did you know this herbivore dinosaur was a particularly hardy one too? The Anchiceratops’ species went on for about 2,000,000 years! This is astounding as older species of horned dinosaur were able to persist for only about 700,000 years according to the Smithsonian Magazine.
#33 Achelousaurus
Source by: Pixels
Not all horned leaf-eating dinosaurs had their horns on their brows. Some had spikes at the back of their frills instead just like the Achelousaurus.
But don’t worry about how it defended itself during fights. The Achelousaurus had hard bosses on their snouts and above their eyes that they may have used for head butts during fights.
#34 Arrhinoceratops
Source by: Mocah HD Wallpapers
Nope, the name of this herbivore dinosaur doesn’t mean it’s a prehistoric rhinoceros. Its name means “no nose-horn face” from the Greek words:
- “a-” = no
- “rhis” = nose
- “keras” = horn
- “ops” = face
It was given this name because it was initially thought that Arrhinoceratops didn’t have a nose-horn that’s characteristic of Ceratopsians. But it was found out later on that it did have one, it just wasn’t recognized right away.
#35 Nedoceratops
Source by: ThoughtCo
Does the Nedoceratops look familiar? We won’t be surprised if you thought this was a Triceratops at first glance.
Even prominent scientists, John Scanella and Jack Horner, who’ve studied this herbivore dinosaur’s fossil intensely thought so too. They believe the Nedoceratops was a Triceratops growing into a Torosaurus.
But an expert on Ceratopsians by the name of Andrew Farke disagrees. He argues that Nedoceratops is a distinct species.
We have yet to find out if it’s one or the other.
#36 Pentaceratops
Source by: YouTube
We’ve seen horned herbivore dinosaurs with two to three horns so far. But five? The Pentaceratops tops them all with its total of five horns. Two above its eyes, one above its nose, and two on the sides of its face.
#37 Protoceratops
Source by: commons.wikimedia.org
Herbivore dinosaurs’ beaks were more than for munching some leafy goodies. They could also be used for battling ferocious predators like the Velociraptor.
A cool fossil of a Protoceratops fighting with a Velociraptor was found in 1971. The fossil was called the “Fighting Dinosaurs” and we see there that the Velociraptor’s arm has been bitten and broken by the Protoceratops.
#38 Triceratops
Source by: Facts.net
Did you know that the Triceratops’s mortal enemy was the Tyrannosaur? Live Science shared a study by paleontologist Kenneth Carpenter about a Triceratops skull and horn that had tooth marks made by a Tyrannosaur. The study shows that the herbivore dinosaur was able to successfully defend itself against the king of all dinosaurs.
Live Science also shared a study where the Triceratops was defeated and became the Tyrannosaur’s hefty meal. Recreating the battle scene for your museum or show would be awesome with a realistic T. rex and Triceratops hunting scene.
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
#39 Udanoceratops
Source by: Paleostock
The Udanoceratops is a curious-looking horned plant-eating dinosaur because it has no horns above its eyes or nose. It has a short frill instead and little horns on the side.
#40 Zuniceratops
Source by: Reddit
This herbivore dinosaur is thought to be an important species that will help paleontologists understand how horned herbivore dinosaurs evolved from the most primitive ones to the most recently discovered.
That’s due to Zuniceratops’ physical features similar to more primitive dinosaurs like Protoceratops and with more recent ones like Triceratops according to Smithsonian Magazine.
Summary of Horned Herbivore Dinosaurs
Source by: onlydinosaurs.com
Here’s a convenient summary of all the awesome horned herbivore dinosaurs we just covered.
The Coolness Factor of Herbivore Dinosaurs
Source by: unsplash.com
It’s amazing to get a bigger picture of what the prehistoric population looked like. Imagine, the world was mostly made up of leaf-eating dinosaurs back then!
Not to mention the variety of looks they rocked. From long necks, spikes, clubs, horns, and frills. They’re so cool!
Additionally, they were able to grow strong and humongous because of plants! Who would’ve thought that those little plants made dinosaurs grow gigantically?
Now you know the inspiration that brings our dinosaur costumes to life.
How about you? What fascinated you the most about plant-eating dinosaurs? We hope you enjoyed!
