Dino card No. 0567 of 2,027

Efraasia

Say it: e-FRAH-see-ah

Name means: “named after Eberhard Fraas, a German paleontologist”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksLate Triassic

Efraasia was a long-necked plant-eater that lived in what is now Germany about 210 million years ago. It was a medium-sized dinosaur, about 6 to 7 metres long, and could walk on two or four legs. Its name honors the scientist Eberhard Fraas, who collected the first fossils.1

Lived

227 to 206 million years ago3

Late Triassic

Fossils found in

Germany, in the Löwenstein Formation of Baden-Württemberg1 3

Food

Plants1

Length

6 to 7 m1

adult estimate

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

as long as 4 bicycles in a rowas long as 39 bananas end to end

How big was Efraasia compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Efraasia was once thought to be a small dinosaur only 2 to 3 metres long, but scientists later realized those fossils were from juveniles. Adults grew to about 6.5 metres.1

Its fossils were first mistaken for three different dinosaur species: Teratosaurus minor, Sellosaurus fraasi, and Paleosaurus diagnosticus. In 2003, scientists combined them into one species: Efraasia minor.1

Efraasia had long fingers and a flexible thumb, which it may have used to grasp food. Its wrists were shaped so it could walk on all fours easily.1

The first Efraasia fossils were discovered by a stonemason named Albert Burrer in a quarry near Pfaffenhofen, Germany, between 1906 and 1914.1

Efraasia is a basal sauropodomorph, meaning it is an early relative of the giant long-necked sauropods like Brachiosaurus and Diplodocus.1

Some scientists think Efraasia was an obligate biped, meaning it could only walk on two legs, because its lower arm could not rotate to point its hands downward.1

AI-made picture of Efraasia — An AI-made picture of how Efraasia 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 Efraasia

?What did Efraasia eat?

Efraasia was a herbivore, meaning it ate plants. It thrived on the lush vegetation of its time.1 2

?How big was Efraasia?

Efraasia was a medium sized dinosaur, about 6 to 7 metres long. It weighed between 300 and 600 kilograms.1 2

?When did Efraasia live?

Efraasia lived during the Late Triassic Period, around 210 million years ago. Its fossils were found in Germany.1 3

?Could Efraasia walk on two legs?

Yes, Efraasia was mainly bipedal but could also walk on all fours. Some scientists think it could only walk on two legs because its wrists could not rotate.1 2

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Myth buster

Myth: Efraasia was a meat-eating dinosaur.

Truth: Early researchers thought it was a predator, but in 1965 scientists proved it was a plant-eating sauropodomorph.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Efraasia
Named by: Galton 19733
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Sauropodomorpha3
Classification: Sauropodomorpha3
Age of the rocks: 227 to 206 million years (Norian)3
Rock formations: Löwenstein3
Countries: Germany3
Fossil records: 5 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: The first fossils were found by Albert Burrer in a quarry near Pfaffenhofen, Germany, starting in 1906. They were later studied by Friedrich von Huene and Eberhard Fraas. The genus Efraasia was named by Peter Galton in 1973 in honor of Fraas.1
Still debated: Scientists still debate whether Efraasia walked on two legs or four. Some think its wrists allowed it to walk on all fours, while others argue it was an obligate biped.1

Where the facts come from

Efraasia (en.wikipedia.org)
Efraasia | Exploring the Late Triassic Herbivorous Giant (thedinosaurs.org)
Efraasia 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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