Troodon
Name	Troodon
Order	Saurischia
Suborder	Theropoda
Class	Reptilia
Name Translation	Wounding Tooth
Period	Late Cretaceous
Location	USA and Canada
Diet	Meat. Possibly plants and meat
Length	2.4 meters(7.9 ft.)

Troodon was a large-brained nocturnal Troodontid theropod, which lived in the latter part of the Cretaceous period. It had the typical lightweight theropod build, and may have had camouflage markings on its hide, to help it catch the nocturnal mammals which formed such a large part of its diet. Troodon had abnormally large eyes, and these helped Troodon to see after the setting of the sun, territory which was traditionally undisturbed by those of the great order Reptilllia, due to the restrictions of being ectothermic (unable to maintain a constant internal temperature). Troodon, however, is generally accepted as having been endothermic, otherwise known as warm - blooded outside the scientific community, although disputes still occur.

Scientists at a British university later conducted a thought experiment related to the evolution of Troodon, had it not been so brutally wiped out by the cataclysmic meteorite impact of 65 million years ago. The scientists discovered that, as Troodon's eyes grew, his head would have to frequently bend upwards to gain a better view. The only way to solve that problem was to change the angle at which the spine was to the ground, in other words, to become erect. With Troodon standing upright, there would be no need for a tail to act as a counterbalance, henceforth reducing the requirement for a tail. Troodon had become humanoid. Although this is just a thought experiment, it really does give a fascinating glimpse of what evolutionary paths certain lineages of dinosaur may have taken to, had they not been eradicated. This little carnivore was a relative of Saurornithoides, another type of Troodontid.

See Also:Edit

• The New Dinosaurs: An Alternative Evolution