Leaellynasaura was a small ornithopod that lived during the beginning of the cretaceous period. It´s fossils have been found in Victoria, Australia and very few full skeletons have been discovered. Even though the material gathered from leaellynasaura is incomplete, scientists have been able to determine it´s size and period of time when it existed.

From one skull founded it was noted that leaellynasaura had very large optic lobes compared to other dinosaurs. This meant that it had large eyes, giving it the ability to see through the long dark winters.

And as with other hypsilophodontids, the bone tissue show that leaellynasaura grew continously and quickly. Seasonal variations in temperature did not affect its growth rate that has scientists beliving that this dinosaur may have been warm-blooded.

During the early Cretaceous period, Victoria was well within the Arctic polar circle. This leads to the conclusion that leaellynasaura was able to live in climates no other reptiles can live today.