Aegyptosaurus facts for kids

Aegyptosaurus means "Egypt's Lizard". It was a type of sauropod dinosaur. This amazing creature lived in Africa about 95 million years ago. This was during the Upper Cretaceous period.

Like most sauropods, Aegyptosaurus had a very long neck. It also had a small skull (head). Its long tail helped balance its body. The tail also had a whip-like end. Aegyptosaurus used this tail to protect itself. It could fend off big predators like Carcharodontosaurus and Spinosaurus.

Discovery of Aegyptosaurus

A German scientist named Ernst Stromer found and named Aegyptosaurus. This happened in 1932. Its fossils were found in Egypt and Niger. They were also found in different parts of the Sahara Desert. All known fossils were found before 1939.

Sadly, these important fossils were kept in Munich, Germany. They were destroyed during World War II in 1944. This happened when a bombing raid hit the museum.

Aegyptosaurus Family and Friends

Aegyptosaurus was a close relative of Argentinosaurus. Argentinosaurus was a much larger dinosaur. It lived in South America around the same time. This suggests that Africa and South America might have been connected by land during the Cretaceous period.

The main type of Aegyptosaurus is called Aegyptosaurus baharijensis. It was named after the Bahariya Formation in Egypt. This is where the first fossils were discovered.

Aegyptosaurus was smaller than another dinosaur living at the same time, Paralititan. But Aegyptosaurus was also more common.

Images for kids

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  Speculative restoration

See also

In Spanish: Aegyptosaurus baharijensis para niños