Aeolosaurus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aeolosaurus |
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| Left femur of A. maximus | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Clade: | †Titanosauria |
| Clade: | †Lithostrotia |
| Clade: | †Aeolosaurini |
| Genus: | †Aeolosaurus Powell, 1987 |
| Species | |
Aeolosaurus (meaning "Aeolus' lizard") was a type of huge, long-necked dinosaur called a sauropod. It belonged to a special group of sauropods known as titanosaurs. These dinosaurs were some of the largest animals to ever walk on Earth!
Aeolosaurus is quite well-known for a titanosaur. Scientists have found bones from several different Aeolosaurus individuals. These bones belong to at least three different species. However, like many sauropods, we still haven't found any skull bones for Aeolosaurus. This means we don't know exactly what its head looked like!
Contents
Discovering Aeolosaurus
The very first Aeolosaurus bones were found in Argentina. These fossils are very old, dating back about 83 to 74 million years ago. This time period is known as the Late Cretaceous period.
The First Bones Found
The first set of bones discovered is called the holotype of Aeolosaurus rionegrinus. A holotype is like the main example specimen for a species. This particular set of bones included seven tail vertebrae (backbones). It also had parts of both front legs and one of the back legs. These bones helped scientists understand what Aeolosaurus looked like and how it might have moved.
More Discoveries
Since the first discovery, more Aeolosaurus fossils have been found in different places. These new finds have helped scientists learn even more about this amazing dinosaur. Each new bone helps to complete the puzzle of what these ancient giants were like.
What Was Aeolosaurus Like?
Aeolosaurus was a large plant-eating dinosaur. Like other titanosaurs, it likely had a long neck and a long tail. Its body was probably very heavy and strong.
How Big Was It?
While we don't have a complete skeleton, the bones found suggest that Aeolosaurus was a very large dinosaur. Titanosaurs were known for their enormous size, and Aeolosaurus was no exception. It would have been much bigger than any animal alive today!
What Did It Eat?
As a sauropod, Aeolosaurus was a herbivore, meaning it ate plants. With its long neck, it could have reached high into trees to munch on leaves. It probably spent most of its day eating to fuel its massive body.
Images for kids
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Aeolosaurus sp. tail vertebrae
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Aeolosaurus sp. forelimb elements
See also
In Spanish: Aeolosaurus para niños
