Dinheirosaurus
Dinheirosaurus was a huge, long-necked plant-eater that lived in what is now Portugal. It used its long neck to reach leaves high in the trees, and its heavy body helped it stay safe from predators.21
When did it live?
How big was it?
How long was it?
How heavy was it?
How big was Dinheirosaurus compared to YOU?
Just maths in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
How fast was it?
Fun facts
Dinheirosaurus is known from only one partial skeleton, including neck and back bones, ribs, and a piece of the hip bone.1
Its backbone had special extra joints, called hyposphene-hypantrum articulations, that made the spine very stiff and strong.3
Scientists think Dinheirosaurus is closely related to Supersaurus, a giant sauropod from North America.3
Unlike many of its relatives, the neural spines on Dinheirosaurus's back bones were not split into two branches.3
The fossils of Dinheirosaurus were found in rocks that were once an estuary or bay, about 152 to 149 million years ago.2
Some scientists think Dinheirosaurus might actually be a species of Supersaurus, but most still consider it a separate dinosaur.2
Most asked questions about Dinheirosaurus
?How big was Dinheirosaurus?
It was about 20 to 25 metres (66 to 82 feet) long and weighed around 8.8 metric tons (9.7 short tons). That is roughly as long as two school buses parked end to end.4
?What did Dinheirosaurus eat?
It was a plant-eater. It used its long neck to reach leaves high in the trees.4
?When did Dinheirosaurus live?
It lived during the Late Jurassic Period, about 152 to 149 million years ago.4
?Where was Dinheirosaurus found?
Its fossils were found in Portugal, near the town of Lourinhã, in rocks that were once an estuary or bay.4
?Is Dinheirosaurus a dinosaur?
Yes, it is a dinosaur. It is a diplodocid sauropod, a long-necked plant-eater.4
?Was Dinheirosaurus related to Supersaurus?
Yes, scientists think Dinheirosaurus is closely related to Supersaurus. Some even think it might be a species of Supersaurus, but most consider it a separate dinosaur.4
Ask Rex about Dinheirosaurus
Rex only answers questions about this page. 10 questions a month.
Rex is an AI and can make mistakes. He runs on servers in the EU and questions are never saved. Never type your name or other personal things.
For dino experts
- Scientific name
- Dinheirosaurus
- Named by
- Bonaparte and Mateus 19995
- Group
- Long-necks
- Family / clade
- Diplodocidae5
- Classification
- Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda > Diplodocoidea5
- Age of the rocks
- 152 to 149 million years (Kimmeridgian)5
- Rock formations
- Lourinhã5
- Countries
- Portugal5
- Fossil records
- 1 in the Paleobiology Database5
- Discovery
- Dinheirosaurus was named in 1999 by paleontologists José Bonaparte and Octávio Mateus. The fossils were found at Porto Dinheiro beach in Portugal.1
- Still debated
- Scientists are not sure if Dinheirosaurus is a separate genus or if it should be called Supersaurus lourinhanensis.2
Where the facts come from
- A NEW DIPLODOCID, DINHEIROSAURUS LOURINHANENSIS GEN. ET SP. NOV, FROM THE LATE JURASSIC BEDS OF PORTUGAL (docentes.fct.unl.pt)
- PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
- New information on the anatomy and systematic position of Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis (Sauropoda: Diplodocoidea) from the Late Jurassic of Portugal, with a review of European diplodocoids (docentes.fct.unl.pt)
- Dinheirosaurus (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia)
- Dinheirosaurus 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.
Rex is hungry! Dino Wiki is a dad's project for his dino-loving son, free with no ads. Grown-ups can feed Rex a snack to help keep it online.Feed Rex
Brachiosaurus
Diplodocus
Brontosaurus
Argentinosaurus
Camarasaurus
Morosaurus
Allosaurus
Compsognathus
Camptosaurus
Nanosaurus
Rhamphorhynchus
Ceratosaurus