tugistatavus

Tugistatavus is a genus of herbivorous ornithischian dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 75 million years ago. The name "Tugistatavus" is derived from the Mongolian words "tugi" meaning "small" and "statavus" meaning "standing," reflecting the small size of the known specimens. The genus is known from a single species, Tugistatavus mongoliensis, which was discovered in Mongolia.

Tugistatavus is one of the smallest known ornithischian dinosaurs, with an estimated length of around 1.5 meters (5 feet) and a weight of approximately 10 kilograms (22 pounds). It had a small, lightweight body with long, slender limbs, which suggests it may have been a fast runner or possibly a cursorial (running) dinosaur. The skull of Tugistatavus is relatively small and lacks the distinctive features seen in other ornithischian dinosaurs, such as the beak-like snouts of hadrosaurs or the high-crested skulls of ceratopsians.

The fossil remains of Tugistatavus consist of a partial skull, several vertebrae, and limb bones. These fossils provide valuable insights into the diversity and evolution of ornithischian dinosaurs during the Late Cretaceous. Despite its small size, Tugistatavus is an important addition to our understanding of the ornithischian dinosaur family tree, helping to fill in gaps between larger, more well-known genera.