Soriatitan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Soriatitan |
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| Life restoration of Soriatitan golmayensis | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Family: | †Brachiosauridae |
| Genus: | †Soriatitan Royo-Torres et al., 2017 |
| Type species | |
| †Soriatitan golmayensis Royo-Torres et al., 2017
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Soriatitan is a fascinating dinosaur whose name means "Soria titan." It was a type of sauropod, which were huge, plant-eating dinosaurs with long necks and tails. This amazing creature lived during the Early Cretaceous period in what is now Spain. So far, scientists have found only one species of Soriatitan, called S. golmayensis.
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What Was Soriatitan?
Soriatitan was a sauropod, a group of dinosaurs famous for their enormous size. Think of them as the gentle giants of the dinosaur world! They walked on four strong legs and had very long necks to reach leaves high up in trees. Their long tails helped them balance their massive bodies. Soriatitan was part of a family called Brachiosauridae, which includes some of the tallest dinosaurs ever.
How Big Was This Dinosaur?
While not as famous as some other sauropods, Soriatitan was still a very large animal. Scientists estimate it could have been around 14 meters (about 46 feet) long. That's roughly the length of a school bus! It would have weighed many tons, like several elephants put together. Imagine seeing a creature that big walking around!
Where and When Did Soriatitan Live?
Soriatitan lived during the Early Cretaceous period, which was about 138 to 130 million years ago. This was a time when many new types of dinosaurs were appearing. Its fossils were discovered in Spain, specifically in the Soria province. This tells us that huge sauropods were still roaming parts of Europe during this period. The area where it lived would have been covered in lush forests and plants, providing plenty of food for this giant herbivore.
Discovery of Soriatitan
The first fossils of Soriatitan were found in the Golmayo area of Soria, Spain. This is why its full scientific name is Soriatitan golmayensis. The discovery was very exciting for paleontologists, who are scientists who study fossils. It helped them learn more about the types of dinosaurs that lived in Europe during the Early Cretaceous. The fossils were described by a team of scientists led by Royo-Torres in 2017. This means it's a relatively new discovery in the world of dinosaurs!
Images for kids
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Size of Soriatitan golmayensis compared to a human
See also
In Spanish: Soriatitan golmayensis para niños
