Alwalkeria

Name Origin

Eric Walker's

Classification

Diapsida, Saurischia, Theropoda

Habitat (Discovery Location)

India

Period

Late Triassic

Length

Approximately 1 meter

Weight

Approximately 2 kilograms

Diet

Carnivore or Omnivore

Description

Alwalkeria was a small dinosaur that lived in India during the Late Triassic period.
Its fossil was discovered in 1974, and it was officially named in 1987.
Much about its ecology remains a mystery.

An Omnivorous Dinosaur with Unique Teeth

The most distinctive feature of Alwalkeria was its heterodonty.
While most dinosaurs had teeth of the same shape, Alwalkeria had both straight teeth for eating plants and curved teeth for tearing meat.
This suggests that it was an omnivore, eating both animals and plants.

Scant Fossils and Future Possibilities

The only fossils of Alwalkeria discovered to date are very fragmentary, including the tips of the upper and lower jaws, 28 vertebrae, a femur, and an ankle bone.
Because of this, much about its complete appearance and ecology is still shrouded in mystery.

The well-preserved skull is believed to be from a juvenile. If it were an adult, its height would have only reached a person’s knees.
The scarcity of fossils has also led to debates about its existence and whether it might be the same species as Eoraptor.