Riojasaurus
| Riojasaurus Temporal range: Upper Triassic
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Skull cast | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Class: | |
| Superorder: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Infraorder: | |
| Genus: | Riojasaurus Bonaparte, 1967
|
Riojasaurus was a herbivorous prosauropod dinosaur. It was one of the earliest of the large, plant-eating dinosaurs. Riojasaurus lived during the Upper Triassic, roughly 225 to 219 million years ago. Fossils have been found in La Rioja Province in Argentina. There are include incomplete skeletons from about 20 individuals.
Riojasaurus had a heavy body, bulky legs, and a long neck and tail. Its leg bones were dense and massive for a prosauropod.[1] By contrast, its vertebrae were lightened by hollow cavities, and unlike most prosauropods, Riojasaurus had four sacral vertebrae instead of three.[1]
It probably moved slowly on all fours and could not rear up on its back legs.[1][2] The nearly equal length of the fore and hindlimbs is also suggestive of a quadrupedal animal.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Riojasaurus." In: Dodson, Peter et al The Age of Dinosaurs. Publications International, 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
Content Disclaimer
Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.
- The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
- There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
- It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
- Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
- Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.