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Ammosaurus

Dinosaur profile

Ammosaurus

Anchisaurus polyzelus

HerbivoreEarly JurassicSauropod

Pronunciation

ah-moh-sore-us

Meaning

Sand lizard

Type

Sauropod

Length

5 meters

Period

Early Jurassic

Years

195 - 180 million years ago

Location

USA

Diet

Herbivore

About Ammosaurus

Ammosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic Period, about 155-150 million years ago. It was a large, herbivorous dinosaur, with an estimated length of about 49-66 feet and a weight of about 15-20 tons. Ammosaurus had a long, slender neck and a small head with a beak and small, peg-like teeth. It also had a long, whip-like tail, which it may have used as a weapon to defend itself against predators. Its body was probably covered in a layer of tough, scaly skin.

Ammosaurus was discovered in the western United States in the late 1800s, and was named by paleontologists in 1877. It is considered a relatively primitive sauropod, and is thought to be closely related to other early sauropods such as Barapasaurus and Euhelopus. Ammosaurus 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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