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Eucnemesaurus

Say it: yoo-KNEE-me-SORE-us

Name means: “good tibia lizard”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksLate Triassic

Eucnemesaurus was a long-necked plant-eater that stomped around South Africa during the Late Triassic. It had strong leg bones and a heavy body, making it one of the early giants of the dinosaur world.1 3

Lived

227 to 201 million years ago3

Late Triassic

Fossils found in

Lower Elliot Formation, Slabberts district, Orange Free State, South Africa1

Food

Plants3

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

cool stuff

Fun facts

Eucnemesaurus was once mistaken for a giant meat-eater called Aliwalia, but scientists later realized it was a plant-eating sauropodomorph.1

The name Eucnemesaurus means 'good tibia lizard' because its shin bones (tibiae) were very strong and sturdy.1

Fossils of Eucnemesaurus are about 228 million years old, from the Late Triassic period.1

A second species, Eucnemesaurus entaxonis, was named in 2015 based on a nearly complete skeleton.2

Eucnemesaurus is closely related to Riojasaurus, another early long-necked dinosaur from South America.1 3

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

?How big was Eucnemesaurus?

Scientists do not have a precise size estimate, but its large femur (thigh bone) suggests it was a big early dinosaur, comparable in size to later theropods like Allosaurus.1

?What did Eucnemesaurus eat?

Eucnemesaurus was a plant-eater. It is a sauropodomorph, a group of long-necked dinosaurs that ate plants.1

?Was Eucnemesaurus a dinosaur?

Yes, Eucnemesaurus was a dinosaur. It was a basal sauropodomorph, which is a type of long-necked dinosaur.1

?When did Eucnemesaurus live?

Eucnemesaurus lived during the Late Triassic period, about 228 million years ago.1

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Myth buster

Myth: Eucnemesaurus was a giant carnivorous dinosaur like T. rex.

Truth: Eucnemesaurus was actually a plant-eater. The confusion came from a meat-eating jawbone that was mixed with its fossils.1

For dino experts

Scientific name: Eucnemesaurus
Named by: Van Hoepen 19203
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Riojasauridae3
Classification: Sauropodomorpha3
Age of the rocks: 227 to 201 million years (Norian / Rhaetian)3
Rock formations: Elliot3
Countries: South Africa3
Fossil records: 4 in the Paleobiology Database3
Also known as: Aliwalia (older names now counted as the same animal)3
Discovery: Eucnemesaurus was named in 1920 by Dutch paleontologist Egbert Cornelis Nicolaas van Hoepen. He found the first fossils in the Slabberts district of South Africa.1 3
Still debated: Scientists are still debating exactly how Eucnemesaurus moved. Its sturdy feet suggest it walked more slowly than other early sauropodomorphs.2

Where the facts come from

Eucnemesaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
A second species of Eucnemesaurus Van Hoepen, 1920 (Dinosauria, Sauropodomorpha): new information on the diversity and evolution of the sauropodomorph fauna of South Africa's lower Elliot Formation (latest Triassic): Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology: Vol 35 , No 5 - Get Access (tandfonline.com)
Eucnemesaurus 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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