Burianosaurus Facts
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 2m |
| Length | 6m |
| Weight | 2 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | Czech Republic |

| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 2m |
| Length | 6m |
| Weight | 2 tonnes |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | Czech Republic |
Burianosaurus was an ornithopod dinosaur that lived approximately 100.5 million years ago during the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous period. This dinosaur holds special significance as the first validly named dinosaur species from the Czech Republic, representing an important milestone in Central European palaeontology.
The dinosaur lived in what is now the Czech Republic during a time when the region had a warm, tropical climate with lush vegetation. As an ornithopod, Burianosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur that likely fed on ferns, cycads, and early flowering plants that were becoming more common during the mid-Cretaceous period. It probably moved on both two and four legs, switching between bipedal locomotion when moving quickly and quadrupedal stance when feeding on low-growing vegetation.
Unfortunately, our knowledge of Burianosaurus remains limited because it is known from only a single fossil - a thigh bone (femur) discovered in 2003. This fragmentary evidence makes it difficult to determine the dinosaur's exact size, appearance, and relationships to other ornithopods, though scientists estimate it was a medium-sized dinosaur, possibly similar to other iguanodont-like ornithopods of its time.
The genus name honours Zdeněk Burian, a famous Czech palaeoartist whose beautiful dinosaur illustrations helped bring prehistoric creatures to life for generations of dinosaur enthusiasts. The species name, augustai, commemorates Czech palaeontologist Josef Augusta, highlighting the important contributions of Czech scientists to our understanding of prehistoric life.
Due to being known from only a single femur bone, specific distinguishing features of Burianosaurus cannot be determined with certainty. The thigh bone suggests it was a medium-sized ornithopod with robust leg bones typical of plant-eating dinosaurs that could move on both two and four legs.
Based on its classification as an ornithopod, Burianosaurus likely lived in herds and spent much of its time foraging for plant material. It probably alternated between walking on four legs whilst feeding and running on two legs when escaping from predators or moving between feeding areas.
Burianosaurus was first described by Daniel Madzia and colleagues in 2017. The original fossils were discovered at Peruc-Korycany Formation, Czech Republic.