Andesaurus

Say it like this: “AN-duh-SOR-uhs”

Andesaurus delgadoi

Andesaurus ate plants and walked on four legs. It lived in the Late Cretaceous. Bones have been found in Argentina.

Quiz me on Andesaurus

When: Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) · roughly 100.5 to 93.9 million years ago
Named in: 1991 · Calvo, J. O.; Bonaparte, J. F.
Hip height: 3.5 m · 11 ft
Length: 15–18 m · 49–59 ft
Weight: 7 tonnes
Found in: Argentina · Candeleros
Food and walking: Herbivore · Four legs
Kind: long-neck giant · Sauropod
Family branch: Titanosauria

The story in short

In 1991, J. O. Calvo and J. F. Bonaparte published the name Andesaurus. The name means “andes lizard.”

It lived in the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian), roughly 100.5 to 93.9 million years ago. Finds come from Argentina, including the Candeleros Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on four legs.

Published estimates put Andesaurus at a length near 15–18 m, hips about 3.5 m high, and a body mass around 7 tonnes.

On the family tree it sits in Titanosauria, among the sauropod dinosaurs.

Close relatives

Aegyptosaurus

Aegyptosaurus baharijensis

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) · roughly 100.5 to 93.9 million years ago

Antarctosaurus

Antarctosaurus wichmannianus

Late Cretaceous (Campanian) · roughly 83.6 to 72.2 million years ago

Argyrosaurus

Argyrosaurus superbus

Late Cretaceous (Campanian · Maastrichtian) · roughly 83.6 to 66 million years ago