Riojasaurus

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Quick Facts
Name	Riojasaurus
Diet	Herbivore/omnivore
Weight	700 kilos
Length
Height	3 meters
Period	Late Triassic

Riojasaurus was a sauropodomorphic herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Triassic, approximately 225 to 219 million years ago. It was one of the first of the large herbivorous dinosaurs. The remains were found in the province of La Rioja, Argentina. The name means "lizard of La Rioja" in reference to the place where the specimen was found.

It was a dinosaur with a heavy build, bulky legs and a long neck and tail. The legs were dense and massive. It moved slowly on its four legs and could not stand up on its hind legs. It was a leaf-shaped and toothed plant-eating dinosaur, indicating a preference for eating lush, leafy vegetation. Its eyes had sclerotic rings, meaning it was active during short periods of both day and night. The spine was hollow, but the bones of its limbs were solid and thick.

Riojasaurus was about 10 m long and weighed between 1,000 and 3,000 kg.

What does Riojasaurus mean?

The name Riojasaurus means "Rioja lizard" in reference to the place where the specimen was found.

Where did the Riojasaurus live?

Riojasaurus was a sauropod herbivorous dinosaur that lived during the Late Triassic, approximately 225 to 219 million years ago, mainly in Argentina.

Where did they live?

When did they live?

What was your diet?

Who discovered them?

What kind of dinosaurs are they?

What type of species are they?

How are they classified?

References

Bonaparte, J.F. (1969) Two new faunas of Triassic reptiles from Argentina. IST Gondwana Symp., Mar del Plata Tirra Sciences.
Bossi, G. & Bonaparte, J. (1978)On the presence of a prosauropod dinosaur in the Quebrada del Barro Formation, at the southern edge of the Marayes-El Carrizal Basin (Upper Triassic of San Juan). Acta Geologica Liloana 15(1); 41-47 .
"Riojasaurus." In: Dodson, Peter & Britt, Brooks & Carpenter, Kenneth & Forster, Catherine A. & Gillette, David D. & Norell, Mark A. & Olshevsky, George & Parrish, J. Michael & Weishampel, David B. The Age of Dinosaurs. Publications International, LTD. p. 41. ISBN 0-7853-0443-6.
Van Heerden, J. and Galton, P.M. (1997). "The affinities of Melanorosaurus a Late Triassic prosauropod dinosaur from South Africa". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Monatshefte. (1):39-55.
Bonaparte, J.F. & Pumares, J.A. (1995). Notes on the first skull of Riojasaurus incertus (Dinosauria, Prosauropoda, Melanorosauridae) from the Upper Triassic of La Rioja, Argentina. Ameghiniana 32 (4): 341-349.
Arcucci, A.B. & Coria, R.A. (1996) The prosauropods of the Los Colorados Formation. Ameghiniana 33 (4); 459.
Moody, Richard. Dinofile. pg 20. Octopus Publishing Group Ltd., 2006.
"sauropodomorpha". Archived since the original on July 28, 2009.

Fun Facts

The name Riojasaurus means "Rioja lizard".
Riojasaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur.
He walked on all fours.
It was a dinosaur with a heavy build, bulky legs and a long neck and tail.