Tastavinsaurus

Say it like this: “tas-tuh-VIN-SAWR-us”

Tastavinsaurus sanzi

Tastavinsaurus ate plants and walked on four legs. It lived in the Early Cretaceous. Bones have been found in Spain.

Quiz me on Tastavinsaurus

When: Early Cretaceous (Barremian · Aptian) · roughly 125.8 to 113.2 million years ago
Named in: 2008 · Canudo, J. I.; Royo-Torres, R.; Cuenca-Bescós, G.
Hip height: 3 m · 10 ft
Length: 16 m · 52 ft
Weight: 8 tonnes
Found in: Spain · Xert
Food and walking: Herbivore · Four legs
Kind: long-neck giant · Sauropod
Family branch: Somphospondyli

The story in short

In 2008, J. I. Canudo and colleagues published the name Tastavinsaurus. The name honors a person tied to the fossil or its study.

It lived in the Early Cretaceous (Barremian · Aptian), roughly 125.8 to 113.2 million years ago. Finds come from Spain, including the Xert Formation. It was a herbivore and walked on four legs.

Published estimates put Tastavinsaurus at a length near 16 m, hips about 3 m high, and a body mass around 8 tonnes.

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

Close relatives

Abdarainurus

Abdarainurus barsboldi

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

Angolatitan

Angolatitan adamastor

Late Cretaceous (Coniacian) · roughly 89.8 to 85.7 million years ago

Arkharavia

Arkharavia heterocoelica

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) · roughly 72.2 to 66 million years ago