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Futalognkosaurus

Say it: FOO-tuh-long-ko-SORE-us

Name means: “giant chief lizard”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksLate Cretaceous

Futalognkosaurus was a giant, long-necked plant-eater that lived in what is now Argentina. It was one of the biggest dinosaurs ever, with a neck that was more than a meter deep in places! This gentle giant munched on leaves and fruits in a warm, tropical forest.1 2

Lived

94 to 86 million years ago3

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Neuquén Province, Patagonia, Argentina1 2

Food

Plants1 2

Length

24 to 34 m1

estimates vary; early estimate 32 to 34 m, later downsized to 24 to 30 m

Weight

29 tonnes to 51 tonnes1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

How big was it?

How long was it?

How heavy was it?

as heavy as 8 elephants

as long as 8 cars parked in a rowas long as 190 bananas end to endas heavy as 10000 watermelons

How big was Futalognkosaurus compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Futalognkosaurus had a neck with 14 vertebrae, and the bones on top of its spine were shaped like shark fins, making its neck over a meter deep.1

Its hips were huge, reaching nearly 3 meters (9.8 feet) wide.1

This dinosaur lived about 93 to 85 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.1 3

Futalognkosaurus is one of the most complete giant sauropods ever found, with many bones discovered together.2

The fossils were found in a quarry that also contained fish, other dinosaurs, crocodile-like reptiles, and even pterosaurs, showing a whole ancient ecosystem.2

Scientists think Patagonia had a warm, humid climate with dry seasons when Futalognkosaurus was alive, and the area was covered in forests of flowering plants.2

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

?How big was Futalognkosaurus?

Scientists have given different estimates. It was about 24 to 30 metres long and weighed around 29 to 51 tonnes.1

?What did Futalognkosaurus eat?

It was a plant-eater. It ate leaves and fruits from the flowering plants that grew in its warm, tropical forest home.1 2

?When did Futalognkosaurus live?

It lived about 93.5 to 85.8 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous period.1

?Where was Futalognkosaurus found?

Its fossils were found in Neuquén province, Argentina, near the coast of Lake Barreales.1 2

?Was Futalognkosaurus bigger than Argentinosaurus?

Futalognkosaurus was similar in size to Argentinosaurus, but scientists are not sure which was bigger because Argentinosaurus is known from very few bones.2

?Why is it called Futalognkosaurus?

The name means 'giant chief lizard' in the local Mapudungun language, because 'futa' means 'giant' and 'lognko' means 'chief'.1

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Futalognkosaurus
Named by: Calvo et al. 20073
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Lognkosauria3
Classification: Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda > Titanosauria > Macronaria3
Age of the rocks: 94 to 86 million years (Turonian / Coniacian)3
Rock formations: Portezuelo3
Countries: Argentina3
Fossil records: 1 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: Futalognkosaurus was named in 2007 by Calvo and colleagues. The first bone, a huge neck vertebra, was found in March 2000 on the northern shore of Lake Barreales in Argentina.2
Still debated: Scientists are not sure exactly how big Futalognkosaurus was. Different studies give lengths from 24 to 34 meters and weights from 29 to 51 tonnes.1

Where the facts come from

Futalognkosaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
Brasil - A new Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem from Gondwana with the description of a new sauropod dinosaur A new Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem from Gondwana with the description of a new sauropod dinosaur (scielo.br)
Futalognkosaurus in The Paleobiology Database (CC BY 4.0): age, places, rock formations, classification.

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