Hypsilophodon

Hypsilophodon
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 130–125 Ma
Replica at Brussels Science Institute
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Ornithischia
Clade: Neornithischia
Family: Hypsilophodontidae
Genus: Hypsilophodon
Huxley, 1869
Species:
H. foxii
Binomial name
Hypsilophodon foxii
Huxley, 1869

Hypsilophodon (/ˌhɪpsɪˈlɒfdɒn/; meaning "high-crested tooth") is a neornithischian dinosaur genus from the Early Cretaceous period of England. It has traditionally been considered an early member of the group Ornithopoda, but recent research has put this into question.

The first remains of Hypsilophodon were found in 1849; the type species, Hypsilophodon foxii, was named in 1869. Abundant fossil discoveries were made on the Isle of Wight, giving a good impression of the build of the species. It was a small, agile bipedal animal with an herbivorous or possibly omnivorous diet, measuring 1.5–2 m (4.9–6.6 ft) long and weighing 20 kg (44 lb). It had a pointed head equipped with a sharp beak used to bite off plant material, much like modern-day parrots.

Some outdated studies have given rise to a number of misconceptions about Hypsilophodon, including that it was an armoured, arboreal animal, and that it could be found in areas outside of the Isle of Wight. However, research from the following years has shown these ideas to be incorrect.