Living: The Iguanodon got its name because of its pointy teeth, which looked like the ones today’s iguanas have, just bigger. Apparently, the Iguanodon was a peacefully vegetarian that walked and stood on all four legs or just the hind legs. The biggest bones supported the teeth and jaw-muscles. The Allosaurus could open its mouth even more than usually, because of its skull-structure.

By Berislav Krzic

Footprints show that only the grownups walked on all four legs. They could stand in a long time on the hind legs, when they reached up for leaves on the trees. The Iguanodon might have escaped from large predators, like the Baryonyx by running on two legs or fought with its dangerous thumb. Its is highly unlikely, that a flesh-eating dinosaur would attack a group of Iguanodon’s because of their claw. The scientists were sure of, that the Iguanodon walked in herds, when they found a large amount of skeletons, lying beside each other, in Germany.

Useful hands: The hoofed fingers formed a "foot". When the hand was lifted, the wrist could turn around and the fifth finger could be sat against the palm. The pointing thumb could not be turned.

Discovery: In 1825, the Iguanodon was the first dinosaur to get a scientifically name. There had been found an Iguanodon-shinbone in 1809, but no one knew what it was, until it got identified in the 1970th.

Early construction: Previously, the Iguanodon-skeletons were reconstructed in an upright kangaroo-like position. But in the 1970'ies the scientists concluded, that the dinosaur would have broken its stiff tail when standing upright.

The hind legs: A reconstruction of the inner anatomy in an Iguanodon’s hind legs shows the supporting tissue around the thigh, shinbone, fibula and feet-bones. Muscles that were attached to the leg- and pelvis-bones worked in pairs to pull the whole leg back and forward. Other muscles-pairs contracted when the leg stretched or bent in the knee.