Riojasaurus

Live reconstruction of Riojasaurus incertus

• South America ( Argentina)

• Riojasaurus incertus

Riojasaurus was a herbivorous dinosaur from the group of Plateosauria. He lived in the Upper Triassic ( Norian ) and is named after the Argentine province of La Rioja, where its fossils were first found.

Description

Riojasaurus reached a length of six to eleven meters, and weighing up to three tons. The neck and tail were elongated, while the head was small. The limbs and the bones of the hip and shoulder girdle were strong, however, the vortex hollow, probably for the sake of weight savings. The hind legs were slightly longer than the front legs, the feet always ended in five clawed toes. The teeth were serrated and spoon-shaped, he probably fed on Araucaria trees and other coniferous plants.

From the construction of the limbs and the ankle, it is concluded that Riojasaurus was in contrast to other prosauropods exclusively on all fours, that is quadruped, move.

Fossil finds

There were around 20 fossils, including complete, found in both young animals as well as adults, in Argentina. The first description was by the South American paleontologist José Bonaparte in 1969.