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Amygdalodon

Say it: am-ig-DAL-oh-don

Name means: “almond tooth”1 2

Ate: PlantsLong-necksEarly Jurassic

Amygdalodon was a huge, long-necked plant-eater that lived in Argentina during the Early Jurassic, about 180 million years ago. It was one of the very first sauropod dinosaurs ever found in South America, and scientists only know it from a single partial skeleton.1 2

Lived

193 to 183 million years ago3

Early Jurassic

Fossils found in

Cerro Carnerero Formation, Chubut Province, Argentina1 3

Food

Plants1 3

Length

12 to 15 m1 2

estimates vary

Weight

5 tonnes1

Height

4 m1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

as long as 3 cars parked in a rowas long as 83 bananas end to endas heavy as 3 carsabout as heavy as an elephantas heavy as 1000 watermelonsas tall as 2 doors stacked up

How big was Amygdalodon compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Amygdalodon means 'almond tooth' because its teeth are shaped like almonds.1 2

It was discovered in 1936 after a local scientist mentioned finding bones of a large reptile, and Dr. Tomás Suero went to look for more.1

The only known fossils include some vertebrae, ribs, teeth, and parts of the pelvis and shoulder blade.1

Amygdalodon lived about 180 to 172 million years ago, during the Toarcian stage of the Jurassic.1

It was a quadruped, meaning it walked on all four legs, like other sauropods.1

Scientists think Amygdalodon was a basal sauropod, meaning it was an early relative of the giant long-necked dinosaurs that came later.1

Some studies suggest it might be closely related to the Asian dinosaur Gongxianosaurus.1

AI-made picture of Amygdalodon — An AI-made picture of how Amygdalodon might have looked, made by a computer from what scientists know. It is a guess: the real animal may have looked different, and nobody knows its true colours.

you asked

Most asked questions about Amygdalodon

?How big was Amygdalodon?

Amygdalodon was about 12 metres (39 feet) long and 4 metres (13 feet) tall, and weighed over 5 tonnes (5.5 short tons). Estimates vary, with some sources suggesting a length of 15 metres (49 feet).1 2

?What did Amygdalodon eat?

Amygdalodon was a plant-eater, or herbivore. Its almond-shaped teeth show early signs of adapting for bulk feeding, which later sauropods used to eat lots of plants.1 2

?When did Amygdalodon live?

Amygdalodon lived during the Early Jurassic, about 180 to 172 million years ago. The Natural History Museum says Mid Jurassic, 177 to 169 million years ago, so the exact time is debated.1 2

?Where was Amygdalodon found?

Amygdalodon was found in Argentina, in the Cerro Carnerero Formation of Chubut Province. It was discovered in 1936 by Dr. Tomás Suero.1 2

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Amygdalodon
Named by: Cabrera 19473
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Gravisauria3
Classification: Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda3
Age of the rocks: 193 to 183 million years (Pliensbachian / Toarcian)3
Rock formations: Cerro Carnerero3
Countries: Argentina3
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: Amygdalodon was named by Argentine paleontologist Ángel Cabrera in 1947, based on fossils found in 1936 by Dr. Tomás Suero in Chubut, Argentina.1 2
Still debated: Scientists are still debating exactly where Amygdalodon fits in the sauropod family tree, with some placing it as a very early sauropod and others as a more advanced eusauropod.1

Where the facts come from

Amygdalodon (en.wikipedia.org)
Amygdalodon | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Amygdalodon in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

Every fact on this page has a number that points to its source. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are dino fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

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