What was the estimated length of *Xiaosaurus* based on its diminutive size?
Answer
One meter or less
A defining characteristic emphasized in the analysis of *Xiaosaurus* bones is its remarkably small stature, especially when compared to the giant sauropodomorphs existing concurrently in the Early Jurassic landscape. Estimates derived from the fragmentary fossil record place its total length in the realm of one meter or even smaller. This diminutive size underscores the niche specialization present early in dinosaur evolution, showing that not all dinosaurs were rapidly evolving toward gigantism immediately after the Triassic extinction.
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