Saurus. Bristol

Thecodontosaurus, Bristol's own dinosaur, to go on display at university http://gu.com/p/3y7n4

It roamed a tropical island habitat 210 million years ago, racing around in herds and pausing from time to time to stand on hind legs to nibble with razor-sharp teeth on the leaves of palm-like cycad trees. Introducing Theco, the Bristol dinosaur.As the unveiling of a life-sized statue on Friday confirmed, Theco – full name Thecodontosaurus antiquus – is not the most spectacular of dinosaurs, measuring no bigger than a labrador dog.But nevertheless Theco is a fascinating creature because of both its place in the history of palaeontology and what it reveals about the south-west of England in prehistoric times.Fossilised remains of Theco were first discovered in 1834 in a quarry on Durdham Downs in Clifton, Bristol, making it only the fourth dinosaur (even the word "dinosaur" did not exist then) to be identified anywhere in the world.Since then many more bones have been found in Bristol, south Gloucestershire and south Wales.But for years scientists laboured under the misapprehension that Theco was a meat-eater who lived in desert-type conditions. As more and more Theco traces were found and studied, experts have come to realise that the creature was a herbivore with powerful back legs that allowed it to reach up into low-hanging tree branches. Theco had small sharp teeth, each with tiny sharp bumps running along one side, able to tear through thick, juicy leaves.The scientists also realised its habitat was a group of tropical islands, now known as the Mendip Archipelago, which was situated somewhere around what is now north Africa.Over the last four years the Lottery-funded Bristol Dinosaur Project has been helping to gather and preserve thousands of Theco bones, to teach local schoolchildren and residents about the dinosaur and now to produce the model, which will go on show at Bristol university's Wills Memorial building.© 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies.