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Artist's restoration of Thescelosaurus neglectus.
Artist's restoration of Thescelosaurus neglectus.

Thescelosaurus (

period in North America. It was a member of the last dinosaurian fauna before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event
around 66 million years ago. The preservation and completeness of many of its specimens indicate that it may have preferred to live near streams.

This

hypsilophodont, but more recently recognized as distinct from Hypsilophodon. Several species have been suggested for this genus. Three currently are recognized as valid: the type species
T. neglectus, as well as T. garbanii and T. assiniboiensis.

The genus attracted media attention in 2000, when a specimen unearthed in 1993 in South Dakota, United States, was interpreted as including a fossilized heart. There was much discussion over whether the remains were of a heart. Many scientists now doubt the identification of the object and the implications of such an identification. (see more...)