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long-neck giant
Rayososaurus
Say it like this: “rie-YOH-soh-SAWR-us”
Rayososaurus agrioensis
Rayososaurus ate plants and walked on four legs. It lived in the Late Cretaceous. Bones have been found in Argentina.
- When
- Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) · roughly 100.5 to 93.9 million years ago
- Named in
- 1996 · Bonaparte, J. F.
- Hip height
- 2.5 m · 8 ft
- Length
- 13.1 m · 43 ft
- Weight
- 9.4 tonnes
- Found in
- Argentina · Candeleros
- Food and walking
- Herbivore · Four legs
- Kind
- long-neck giant · Sauropod
- Family branch
- Rebbachisauridae
The story in short
The genus Rayososaurus dates to 1996, the year J. F. Bonaparte described it. The name honors a person tied to the fossil or its study.
Fossils referred to Rayososaurus date to 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 Rayososaurus at a length near 13.1 m, hips about 2.5 m high, and a body mass around 9.4 tonnes.
On the family tree it sits in Rebbachisauridae, among the sauropod dinosaurs.
Close relatives
Agustinia
Agustinia ligabuei
Early Cretaceous (Albian) · roughly 113.2 to 100.5 million years ago
Amazonsaurus
Amazonsaurus maranhensis
Early Cretaceous (Aptian · Albian) · roughly 121.4 to 100.5 million years ago
Astigmasaura
Astigmasaura genuflexa
Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian · Turonian) · roughly 100.5 to 89.8 million years ago