Page 52 - Dinosaur (DK Eyewitness Books)

Legs and feet

FȢȴȵ ȮȰȷȪȯȨ ȥȪȯȰȴȢȶȳȴp ȭȦȨȴ were much longer than their arms.
Theropods and many of the ornithopods they chased walked and ran
only on their hind limbs, and not on four legs like horses and other
swift animals today. The quickest dinosaurs had slim legs with shins
longer than thighs, and long, narrow feet with birdlike toes. In contrast,
Femur
(thigh bone) the heavy, plodding sauropods had thick, strong, weight-bearing legs
and short, broad feet. All dinosaurs had vertical legs, each thigh bone
fitting into the side of the hip bones through a ball-and-socket joint,
similar to those in our hips. And dinosaurs walked on their toes, like
dogs, and not flat-footedly, like bears.
Tibia
(shin bone)
Fibula
(calf bone)

Metatarsal (foot bone)
Hypsilophodon
hind limb
Toe
BUILT FOR SPEED
Hypsilophodon’s long
leg bones—tibia (shin
bone), fibula (calf bone), metatarsals (foot
bones), and phalanges (toe bones)—show that
this timid plant-eater could dash away from
danger. Hypsilophodon’s legs could swing back
and forth rapidly during each stride. If it lived
now, Hypsilophodon would stand no more
than waist-high to a man, yet this small
ornithopod might outrun an athlete.
Allosaurus
Long, curved neck

Long, bony tail

Ornithomimus
Three-fingered hand
on short forelimb

THE GREAT ESCAPE
Ornithomimus (“bird mimic”)
was a long-legged dinosaur
that resembled an ostrich,
except for its arms and tail.
Such ornithomimids, or
ostrich dinosaurs, were
theropods with toothless
beaks for snacking on Ankle joint
plants and small
creatures. Speed was Long metatarsal
their only defense and, (foot bone)
like ostriches, a herd of
ornithomimids could Phalanx (toe bone)
sprint from danger at
up to 40 mph (64 kph). Ostriches in the Etosha salt pan, Namibia

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