Dino card No. 1139 of 2,027

Marisaurus

Say it: MAH-ree-SOR-us

Name means: “Mari lizard”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksLate Cretaceous

Marisaurus was a huge, plant-eating dinosaur with a long neck and tail. It lived in what is now Pakistan during the Late Cretaceous period, about 72 to 66 million years ago. This gentle giant munched on leaves and other plants.2 1

Lived

72 to 66 million years ago3

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Balochistan, western Pakistan2 1

Food

Plants2 1

When did it live?

Triassic

Jurassic

Cretaceous

252 million years ago20114566, the asteroid

cool stuff

Fun facts

Marisaurus was named after the Mari tribes of the Sulaiman range in Pakistan.1

Its fossils include tail vertebrae, a shin bone, and some armor plates.1

Marisaurus belonged to a group of sauropods called titanosaurs, which were some of the largest land animals ever.1

The species name jeffi honors paleontologist Dr. Jeffery A. Wilson.1

Marisaurus lived during the Maastrichtian stage, the last part of the Cretaceous Period, just before the dinosaurs went extinct.2 1

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

?How big was Marisaurus?

Nobody knows for sure. Scientists have not found enough bones to estimate its length or weight, but it was a titanosaur, a group that included some of the largest land animals ever.1 3

?What did Marisaurus eat?

It was a plant-eater, or herbivore. It munched on leaves and other plants with its long neck.1 3

?When did Marisaurus live?

It lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 72 to 66 million years ago, just before the dinosaurs went extinct.1 3

?Where was Marisaurus found?

Its fossils were discovered in Balochistan, Pakistan, in the Vitakri member of the Pab Formation.1 3

?Is Marisaurus a dinosaur?

Yes, it is a dinosaur. It was a plant-eating titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur.1

?Why is it called Marisaurus?

Its name means 'Mari lizard' and honors the Mari tribes of the Sulaiman range in Pakistan. The species name jeffi honors paleontologist Dr. Jeffery A. Wilson.1

?Did Marisaurus have armor?

Yes, some armor plates (called osteoderms) have been found with its fossils, which may have protected its back or sides.1

?Could Marisaurus swim?

Scientists do not know for sure. It lived on land and was a ground-dwelling dinosaur, but like many large animals, it might have been able to cross rivers if needed.3

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For dino experts

Scientific name: Marisaurus
Named by: Malkani 20033
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Balochisauridae3
Classification: Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda > Titanosauria > Macronaria3
Age of the rocks: 72 to 66 million years (Maastrichtian)3
Rock formations: Vitakri3
Countries: Pakistan3
Fossil records: 5 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: Marisaurus was discovered in 2001 at the Mari Bohri locality in the Vitakri member of the Pab Formation, Barkhan District, Balochistan, Pakistan, by a team from the Geological Survey of Pakistan. It was named by M. S. Malkani in 2003.2 1
Still debated: Scientists are not sure exactly how big Marisaurus was, because only a few bones have been found.1

Where the facts come from

MARISAURUS - DinoChecker dinosaur archive (dinochecker.com)
PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
Marisaurus 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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