Dino card No. 1261 of 2,027

Neuquensaurus

Say it: nay-OO-ken-SORE-us

Name means: “Neuquén (River) lizard”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksLate Cretaceous

Neuquensaurus was a small, armored sauropod that stomped through Argentina about 83 to 74 million years ago. It had bony plates on its back like a suit of armor, which was rare for long-necked dinosaurs. Despite its size, it was one of the most completely known sauropods from Patagonia.2 1

Lived

86 to 66 million years ago5

Late Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Argentina, near the Neuquén River in the Anacleto Formation, and possibly Uruguay and Brazil2 5

Food

Plants1

Length

7 to 9 m2

Weight

1.8 tonnes to 3.5 tonnes2

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 2.5 cars

as long as 2 cars parked in a rowas long as 50 bananas end to endas heavy as 120 big dogsas heavy as 700 watermelons

How big was Neuquensaurus compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Neuquensaurus had a femur (thigh bone) only 0.75 metres (2.5 feet) long, making it one of the smallest sauropods.2

It carried bony plates called osteoderms on its back for protection, which was unusual for sauropods.2 1

Its name comes from the Neuquén River in Argentina, where its fossils were first found.2

Scientists think Neuquensaurus was a close relative of Saltasaurus, another armored sauropod.1

It lived during the Late Cretaceous, about 83 to 74.5 million years ago.2

Some of its fossils include a well-preserved partial skeleton with two osteoderms still attached.2

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

?How big was Neuquensaurus?

It was a relatively small sauropod, measuring about 7 to 9 metres long and weighing 1.8 to 3.5 tonnes.2 1

?Did Neuquensaurus have armor?

Yes, it had bony plates called osteoderms on its back that acted like a suit of armor, which was unusual for sauropods.2 1

?What did Neuquensaurus eat?

It was a herbivore, meaning it ate plants.1 4

?When did Neuquensaurus live?

It lived during the Late Cretaceous period, about 83 to 74.5 million years ago.2 1

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Myth buster

Myth: Some people think Neuquensaurus was a giant like other sauropods.

Truth: It was actually quite small for a sauropod, only about 7 to 9 metres (23 to 30 feet) long and weighing 1.8 to 3.5 metric tons (2.0 to 3.9 short tons).2

For dino experts

Scientific name: Neuquensaurus
Named by: Powell 19925
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Saltasauridae5
Classification: Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda > Titanosauria > Macronaria5
Age of the rocks: 86 to 66 million years (Santonian / Maastrichtian)5
Rock formations: Anacleto, Bajo de la Carpa, Allen5
Countries: Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil5
Fossil records: 15 in the Paleobiology Database5
Also known as: Loricosaurus, Microcoelus (older names now counted as the same animal)5
Discovery: The first fossils were named Titanosaurus australis by Richard Lydekker in 1893, based on tail bones and limb bones found near the Neuquén River in Argentina. In 1992, Jaime Eduardo Powell gave it the new genus name Neuquensaurus.2
Still debated: Scientists are not sure whether some species, like Neuquensaurus robustus, are valid or just doubtful names.2 3

Where the facts come from

Neuquensaurus | Natural History Museum (nhm.ac.uk)
Neuquensaurus (en.wikipedia.org)
PBDB Taxon (paleobiodb.org)
Neuquensaurus australis | Western Australian Museum (visit.museum.wa.gov.au)
Neuquensaurus 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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