Bonitasaura

Say it like this: “boh-NEE-tah-SOR-uh”

Bonitasaura salgadoi

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

Quiz me on Bonitasaura

When: Late Cretaceous (Santonian) · roughly 85.7 to 83.6 million years ago
Named in: 2004 · Apesteguía, S.
Hip height: 2.3 m · 8 ft
Length: 10 m · 33 ft
Weight: 2 tonnes
Found in: Argentina · Bajo de la Carpa
Food and walking: Herbivore · Four legs
Kind: long-neck giant · Sauropod
Family branch: Colossosauria

The story in short

Bonitasaura was formally named in 2004 by S. Apesteguía. The name honors a person tied to the fossil or its study.

It lived in the Late Cretaceous (Santonian), roughly 85.7 to 83.6 million years ago. Finds come from Argentina, including the Bajo de la Carpa Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on four legs.

Published estimates put Bonitasaura at a length near 10 m, hips about 2.3 m high, and a body mass around 2 tonnes.

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

Close relatives

Austroposeidon

Austroposeidon magnificus

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

Chucarosaurus

Chucarosaurus diripienda

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian · Turonian) · roughly 100.5 to 89.8 million years ago

Inawentu

Inawentu oslatus

Late Cretaceous (Santonian) · roughly 85.7 to 83.6 million years ago