Alamosaurus is the only sauropod discovered to far that lived in what is now North America during the late Cretaceous epoch. It is also thought to be one of the final huge sauropods before the Cretaceous mass extinction.
In 1922, explorer Charles Whitney Gilmore reported a shoulder blade (scapula) and a pelvic bone (ischium) of this dinosaur. Then, in 1946, he discovered a more complete fossil in the state of Utah, consisting of a whole tail, a right front leg – complete except for the tips of the toes – and both pelvises ( ischium ).
Since then, numerous other sections of Texas, New Mexico, and Utah have been attributed to the Alamosaurus, frequently without appropriate description. The most complete find is a skeleton of a juvenile Alamosaurus unearthed by Lehman and Coulson in Texas in 2002, which allowed estimates about the length and mass of an adult species to be formed. Isolated vertebrae and limb bones reveal that Alamosaurus was roughly the size of Argentinosaurus and Puertasaurus, making it the largest dinosaur from modern-day North America.
1: Alamosaurus quick facts:
Name: Alamosaurus (Greek for “Ojo Alamo Lizard”); pronounced al-ah-moe-sore-us
When it lived: Late Cretaceous, 70-66 million years ago
Type of dinosaur: Sauropod
Location: USA
Habitat: Woodland regions.
Length/Weight: 26 meters/38000kg
Diet: Herbivorous
Distinguishing Characteristics: Long neck, tail, and limbs.
Named by: Gilmore (1922)
2: How do you pronounce ‘Alamosaurus’?
The name Alamosaurus should be pronounced “al-ah-moe-sore-us.”
3: What does the name Alamosaurus mean?
New Mexico’s Ojo Alamo Sandstone Formation or Kirtland Formation inspired the naming of the Alamosaurus. Bone fossils were discovered in Big Bend National Park and the Ojo Alamo Sandstone Formation in North America. They were also known as Ojo Alamo lizards.
4: What Did Alamosaurus Look Like?
The Alamosaurus was a particularly long sauropod compared to other sauropods. The Alamosaurus had a long neck, which it must have kept parallel to the ground while searching for low-lying plants. The lengthy tail of these sauropods was likely utilised as a whip to defend against predators. The hues were to range from black to brown and from green to grey.
In compared to their bodies, the heads of these Alamosaurus were tiny and not very long. The Alamosaurus found in New Mexico, North America, had four robust legs with claws on each toe. On the back of their spine, towards their lengthy neck, they sported a scaly armour. According to their discovery, the dinosaur was enormous and humongous.
Sources:Wikipedia
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