Rinconsaurus

Say it like this: “RIN-con-SOR-us”

Rinconsaurus caudamirus

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

Quiz me on Rinconsaurus

When: Late Cretaceous (Santonian) · roughly 85.7 to 83.6 million years ago
Named in: 2003 · Calvo, J. O.; González Riga, B. J.
Hip height: 2.2 m · 7 ft
Length: 11 m · 36 ft
Weight: 3.2–5.4 tonnes
Found in: Argentina · Bajo de la Carpa
Food and walking: Herbivore · Four legs
Kind: long-neck giant · Sauropod
Family branch: Rinconsauria

The story in short

Rinconsaurus was formally named in 2003 by J. O. Calvo and B. J. González Riga. The name honors a person tied to the fossil or its study.

Fossils referred to Rinconsaurus date to 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 Rinconsaurus at a length near 11 m, hips about 2.2 m high, and a body mass around 3.2–5.4 tonnes.

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

Close relatives

Brasilotitan

Brasilotitan nemophagus

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

Chadititan

Chadititan calvoi

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

Muyelensaurus

Muyelensaurus pecheni

Late Cretaceous (Coniacian · Santonian) · roughly 89.8 to 83.6 million years ago