Location : N. America

Chindesaurus may be the first dinosaur to live in North America. This small creature seemed to have lived throughout the Southwestern United States at about the time dinosaurs were beginning to show up in the world. It shared its environment with other prehistoric animals such as primitive reptiles and larger mammal-like reptiles. It is most likely related to Herrerasaurus  and it seems to have been a meat-eater; the question is, which one of these dinosaurs came first?

Chindesaurus was discovered in 1984 and the subsequent discovery of other specimens has caused considerable interest in this very early dinosaur. Unfortunately, no skull material has been discovered. It is a primitive dinosaurian form, with a number of features that are close to reptilian. It also seems to have unusually long legs relative to its body length.