Fun Facts about Eucnemesaurus

Egbert Cornelis Nicolaas van Hoepen discovered Eucnemesaurus in South Africa in 1920 and scientifically described and named it. British palaeontologist Peter Galton redescribed the fossil as theropod Aliwalia rex in 1985.

In 2006, Adam M. Yates published a new article concluding that Eucnemesaurus is a member of the herbivorous Riojasauridae. The description is based on a partial skeleton that includes the spine, pubic bone (pubis) portions, a thighbone (femur), and two shinbones ( tibia ).

Find out more facts about Eucnemesaurus.

1: Eucnemesaurus quick facts:

Name: Eucnemesaurus (Greek for “Good Tibia Lizard”); pronounced Yew-nem-e-sore-us
When it lived: Late Triassic, 228 million years ago
Type of dinosaur: Sauropod
Location: South Africa
Habitat: Grasslands and dense vegetation areas.
Length/Weight: 6 meter/550kg
Diet: Herbivorous
Distinguishing Characteristics: Large body with robust legs.
Named by: Hoepen (1920)

2: How do you pronounce ‘Eucnemesaurus’?

The name Eucnemesaurus  should be pronounced “Yew-nem-e-sore-us.”

3: What does the name Eucnemesaurus mean?

The tibia structure inspired the naming of Eucnemesaurus, which means “a lizard with a real tibia” (Greek eu – “good, real” + Greek kneme – “tibia, lower limb” + Greek sauros – “lizard”). In Latin, the genre epithet (fortis) signifies “strong.”

4: What Did Eucnemesaurus Look Like?

According to the palaeontology of vertebrates, the Eucnemesaurus were primordial sauropods with enormous, stout bodies. They were four-legged animals with sharp claws on each foot. Eucnemesaurus had big, strong feet, which, along with an enlarged pelvic muscle called the caudofemoralis brevis, may have shown that it only walked on two legs. The big animal’s entire weight would then rest on its hind legs.

Sources:Wikipedia