Agustinia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Agustinia |
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| Agustinia in its natural habitat | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Clade: | †Somphospondyli |
| Family: | †Agustiniidae Bonaparte, 1999 |
| Genus: | †Agustinia Bonaparte, 1999 |
| Type species | |
| †Agustinia ligabuei Bonaparte, 1999
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Agustinia was a very interesting dinosaur that lived about 116 to 100 million years ago. This was during the Cretaceous Period, a time when many different kinds of dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Agustinia was a type of sauropod, which means it was a huge, long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur, much like the famous Brontosaurus or Diplodocus.
What made Agustinia special was its unique body armor. Unlike most sauropods, which had smooth skin, Agustinia had special bony plates and spikes along its back. These were called osteoderms, and they probably helped protect it from predators.
This dinosaur's fossils were found in Argentina, a country in South America. The only known species (or type) of Agustinia is called Agustinia ligabuei. It was named to honor Dr. Giancarlo Ligabue, the person who discovered its remains.
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Discovering Agustinia
The first fossils of Agustinia were found in Argentina. They were discovered by Dr. Giancarlo Ligabue, an important explorer and fossil collector. The dinosaur was officially named and described in 1999 by a famous paleontologist named José Bonaparte.
When it was first named, the dinosaur was almost called "Augustia". However, scientists soon realized that this name was already being used for a type of beetle. To avoid confusion, the name was changed slightly to Agustinia. This kind of name change happens sometimes in science when a name has already been "preoccupied" or taken by another animal or plant.
What Made Agustinia Unique?
Agustinia was a sauropod, which means it had a very long neck, a large body, and a long tail. It walked on four strong legs, like other sauropods. But its most striking feature was its armor.
Its Special Armor
- Agustinia had rows of bony plates and spikes along its back. These were called osteoderms.
- These osteoderms were different from the armor found on other dinosaurs, like Ankylosaurus.
- Early ideas about Agustinia's armor suggested it had very tall, flat spikes. However, later studies showed that some of these "spikes" might have actually been pieces of its ribs or hip bones that were broken and looked like armor.
- Even so, scientists agree that Agustinia did have some form of unique armor, making it stand out among other sauropods. This armor likely provided some protection against large meat-eating dinosaurs that lived at the same time.
Where and When It Lived
Agustinia lived during the Early Cretaceous Period, which was about 116 to 100 million years ago. This was a time when the Earth's continents were still moving apart, and many new types of plants and animals were appearing.
- Its fossils were found in the Neuquén Province of Argentina. This area is famous for its rich dinosaur fossil sites.
- During the Early Cretaceous, this part of Argentina would have been a warm, lush environment with plenty of plants for large herbivores like Agustinia to eat.
Images for kids
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An outdated restoration of Agustinia showing spikey osteoderms, now believed to be fragments of rib and hip bones.
See also
In Spanish: Agustinia ligabuei para niños
