Hypsilophodon

Hypsilophodon (/ˌhɪpsɪˈlɒfoʊdɒn/; meaning "Hypsilophus-tooth") is an ornithischian dinosaur genus from the Early Cretaceous period of England. It has traditionally been considered an early member of the group Ornithopoda, but a 2017 analysis questioned this.

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 bipedal animal with an herbivorous or possibly omnivorous diet. Hypsilophodon reached up to 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) in length, weighed about 20 kg (45 lbs), and was an agile runner. It had a pointed head equipped with a sharp beak used to bite off plant material, much like modern day parrots.

Older studies have given rise to number of misconceptions about Hypsilophodon: that it would climb trees, was armoured, reached a length of 2.3 metres (7.5 ft), and was also found outside of Wight. During the past decades new research has gradually shown this to be incorrect.