Look up · dinosaur 1073 of 1,425
early long-neck
Riojasaurus
Say it like this: “ree-OH-hah-SAWR-us”
Riojasaurus incertus
Riojasaurus ate plants and walked on two legs. It lived in the Late Triassic. Bones have been found in Argentina.
- When
- Late Triassic (Norian) · roughly 227.3 to 205.7 million years ago
- Named in
- 1969 · Bonaparte, J. F.
- Hip height
- 1.8 m · 6 ft
- Length
- 6.6–10 m · 22–33 ft
- Weight
- 0.8–3 tonnes
- Found in
- Argentina · Los Colorados
- Food and walking
- Herbivore · Two legs
- Kind
- early long-neck · Sauropodomorph
- Family branch
- Riojasauridae
The story in short
In 1969, J. F. Bonaparte published the name Riojasaurus. The name means “lizard from La Rioja.”
Fossils referred to Riojasaurus date to the Late Triassic (Norian), roughly 227.3 to 205.7 million years ago. Finds come from Argentina, including the Los Colorados Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on two legs.
Published estimates put Riojasaurus at a length near 6.6–10 m, hips about 1.8 m high, and a body mass around 0.8–3 tonnes.
On the family tree it sits in Riojasauridae, among the early long-necked dinosaurs.