Microhadrosaurus Facts
| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 1m |
| Length | 3m |
| Weight | 200 kg |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | China |

| Diet | Herbivore |
| Height | 1m |
| Length | 3m |
| Weight | 200 kg |
| Environment | Land |
| Era | Cretaceous |
| Period | Late Cretaceous |
| Type | Ornithopod |
| Location | China |
Microhadrosaurus was a small ornithopod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 72.2 million years ago in what is now southern China. Despite its name meaning 'small duck lizard', this dinosaur's true adult size remains a mystery, as all known fossils come from juvenile specimens discovered in the Nanxiong Formation of Guangdong Province.
As an ornithopod, Microhadrosaurus belonged to the duck-billed dinosaur group, characterised by their distinctive flat, broad snouts and complex dental batteries perfect for grinding tough plant material. These dinosaurs were well-adapted herbivores that could move both on two legs when running and on all fours when feeding on low-growing vegetation.
The juvenile specimens of Microhadrosaurus suggest it had the typical ornithopod body plan, with strong hind legs, smaller front limbs, and a long tail for balance. Like other members of its group, it would have possessed hundreds of small, tightly-packed teeth arranged in dental batteries that continuously replaced themselves as they wore down from constant plant processing.
The classification of Microhadrosaurus remains uncertain due to the juvenile nature of the fossil material. Without adult specimens for comparison, palaeontologists cannot definitively determine whether these remains represent a genuinely small species or simply young individuals of a larger, already-known ornithopod species.
Based on juvenile remains, Microhadrosaurus appears to have had the typical duck-billed snout and dental arrangement of ornithopods. Its small size may reflect its juvenile status rather than being a distinguishing adult feature.
As a juvenile ornithopod, Microhadrosaurus would likely have stayed close to adult members of its herd for protection from predators. It probably fed on softer plant materials that were easier for its developing dental batteries to process.
Microhadrosaurus was first described by Zhao Xijin in 1979. The original fossils were discovered at Nanxiong Formation, Guangdong Province, China.