Leaellynasaura

Name Origin

Leaellyn's Lizard (Named after Leaellyn Rich)

Family

Hypsilophodontidae

Classification

Diapsida, Ornithischia, Ornithopoda

Habitat (Discovery Location)

Australia

Period

Approximately 100 million years ago (Early Cretaceous)

Length

Approximately 1 meter

Weight

Approximately 10 kg

Diet

Herbivore (Plant-eater)

Description

While dinosaur names are often derived from the names of discoverers or locations, there is one dinosaur that was named as a “present for a certain young girl.”
It is “Leaellynasaura,” a small dinosaur that lived in Early Cretaceous Australia.

Bearing the name of its discoverer’s beloved daughter, this dinosaur is known not only for its heartwarming naming story but also for its unique evolution to survive the “polar night” where the sun never rises.

Surviving the Antarctic “Polar Night”! The Secret of Giant Eyes

In the Early Cretaceous (about 100 million years ago) when Leaellynasaura lived, the Australian continent was located further south than it is today, connected to Antarctica and situated within the “Antarctic Circle.”

The “Polar Night” Where the Sun Doesn’t Rise

The climate at that time was similar to present-day Sapporo (cool temperate zone), and while there were no glaciers, there was a harsh environment specific to the Antarctic Circle.
That is the “polar night,” where the sun does not rise during the winter (for several weeks to several months).

Big Eyes and Brain to See Through the Darkness

Its greatest characteristic was possessing “large eyes (orbits)” and a “brain” that were disproportionately large relative to its body.
It is believed that these large eyes evolved to ensure vision and allow activity in the pitch-black winter forests where there was no sun.

Active Without Hibernating?

According to examinations of bone cross-sections, it is considered highly likely that they did not hibernate.
In reconstruction art, they are often depicted with “fluffy feathers” to withstand the cold, resembling Hypsilophodon, but in reality, they were characterized by a snout that was significantly longer.

“I Want a Live One!” A Dinosaur Named After a Girl

The scientific name Leaellynasaura means “Leaellyn’s Lizard.”
Hidden within this name is a heartwarming yet slightly bittersweet episode involving the discoverer’s family.

For the Daughter Who Wished “I Want a Dinosaur”

In 1989, it was the Rich couple, museum curators, who discovered this dinosaur at Dinosaur Cove in Australia.
The couple had a daughter named Leaellyn, who was two years old at the time and would constantly beg, “I want a dinosaur.”
So, the couple presented the new dinosaur with their beloved daughter’s name.

Was the 2-Year-Old Daughter Disappointed?

However, according to her mother Patricia, Leaellyn was “disappointed” when she saw the fossil.
What the young girl wanted was a “living dinosaur” she could play with as a pet.
It seems a fossil present was a bit too unexciting for a two-year-old.
By the way, a dinosaur named “Timimus” was also named after her younger brother, Tim.

Gratitude for “Friendship” and “Support” Embedded in the Scientific Name

The formal scientific name of Leaellynasaura is “Leaellynasaura amicagraphica.”
The specific name “amicagraphica” also contains gratitude to the people who supported the discovery.

Amica

Latin for “female friend.”
Gratitude to the female friends who supported the museum’s activities.

Graphica

An acknowledgement to the “National Geographic Society,” which provided immense cooperation for the excavation.

In other words, this scientific name is packed with all the cherished entities involved in the discovery: “daughter, friends, and National Geographic.”