Mantellisaurus

Mantellisaurus is a genus of herbivorous ornithopod dinosaur in the family Iguanodontidae that lived during the Early Cretaceous period in Europe. The genus includes the type species Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis, which was previously referred to as Iguanodon atherfieldensis. Mantellisaurus was named to reflect its close relationship to Iguanodon while recognizing distinct skeletal features.

Fossil evidence comes mainly from England, including remains found on the Isle of Wight, and from other parts of Europe. The age is generally placed in the Barremian to Aptian stages of the Early Cretaceous, roughly 129 to 125 million years ago, though exact ranges vary by study.

Mantellisaurus was a small to medium-sized iguanodontid, commonly estimated at about 2.5 to 4 meters in length. It was bipedal as an adult but could have shifted to a quadrupedal posture when foraging or moving slowly. It possessed a beaked mouth and dental batteries with leaf-shaped teeth suited to processing plant material. The forelimbs were relatively robust, suggesting some use in foraging and support.

In paleobiology, Mantellisaurus is interpreted as a low-browsing herbivore that fed on vegetation close to the ground and possibly in open habitats. It is closely related to Iguanodon and is used to illustrate the diversity and evolutionary development of Early Cretaceous iguanodontids.

See also Iguanodon and Ornithopoda.