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Amargasaurus

Dinosaur profile

Amargasaurus

Amargasaurus cazaui

HerbivoreEarly CretaceousSauropod

Pronunciation

A-MARG-oh-sore-us

Meaning

Amarga lizard

Type

Sauropod

Length

10m

Period

Early Cretaceous

Years

132 - 127 million years ago

Location

Argentina

Diet

Herbivore

About Amargasaurus

Amargasaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous Period, about 130-125 million years ago. It was a medium to large-sized herbivore, with an estimated length of about 26-33 feet and a weight of about 2-3 tons. Amargasaurus had a long, slender neck and a small head with a beak and small, peg-like teeth. It also had a unique, double row of long, slender spines running along its back, which may have been used for display or to support a fleshy crest. Its body was probably covered in a layer of tough, scaly skin.

Amargasaurus was discovered in Argentina in the 1980s, and was named by paleontologists in 1991. It is considered a relatively primitive sauropod, and is thought to be closely related to other early sauropods such as Barapasaurus and Euhelopus. Amargasaurus is known from a number of well-preserved fossil specimens, including several partial skeletons and skulls, which have helped paleontologists learn more about the anatomy and behavior of this dinosaur.

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