Dino card No. 1818 of 2,027

Tornieria

Say it: tor-NEER-ee-uh

Name means: “for Tornier”1

Ate: PlantsLong-necksLate Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Tornieria was a huge, long-necked plant-eater that lived in what is now Tanzania. It had a very long tail and neck, and it walked on four thick legs. This dinosaur was a close relative of the famous Diplodocus.1 3

Lived

152 to 143 million years ago3

Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous

Fossils found in

Lindi Region, Tanzania1 3

Food

Plants3 1

Length

up to 25 m1

estimate

Weight

up to 10 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 7 cars

as long as 6 cars parked in a rowas long as 140 bananas end to endas heavy as 1.5 elephantsas heavy as 2000 watermelons

How big was Tornieria compared to YOU?

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cool stuff

Fun facts

Tornieria was first named Gigantosaurus, but that name was already taken by another dinosaur, so it was renamed in 1911.1

For many years scientists thought Tornieria was the same as the North American dinosaur Barosaurus, but now they think it is a separate genus.1 2

Tornieria had a short lower leg compared to its upper leg, which is different from many other diplodocids.1

Its fossils were found in the Tendaguru Beds of Tanzania, a famous site that also produced the giant dinosaur Giraffatitan.1 3

Tornieria lived during the Late Jurassic period, about 152 to 143 million years ago.3

One species of Tornieria, T. gracilis, was named for having more slender hind limbs.1

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

?How big was Tornieria?

Tornieria was a large sauropod, about 25 metres long and weighed around 10 metric tons.1

?What did Tornieria eat?

Tornieria was a plant-eater, or herbivore. It ate plants like ferns and leaves.1 3

?Where did Tornieria live?

Tornieria lived in what is now Tanzania, in Africa. Its fossils were found in the Tendaguru Beds.1

?Is Tornieria a dinosaur?

Yes, Tornieria is a dinosaur. It is a type of sauropod called a diplodocid.1 3

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Myth buster

Myth: Some people think Tornieria is just a species of Barosaurus.

Truth: Scientists now agree that Tornieria is a distinct genus, not the same as Barosaurus.1 2

For dino experts

Scientific name: Tornieria
Named by: Sternfeld 19113
Group: Long-necks
Family / clade: Diplodocidae3
Classification: Sauropodomorpha > Sauropoda > Diplodocoidea3
Age of the rocks: 152 to 143 million years (Kimmeridgian / Tithonian)3
Rock formations: Tendaguru3
Countries: Tanzania3
Fossil records: 7 in the Paleobiology Database3
Discovery: German paleontologist Eberhard Fraas discovered two sauropod skeletons in Tanzania in 1907. He named them Gigantosaurus africanus and G. robustus in 1908. Because the name Gigantosaurus was already used, Richard Sternfeld renamed the genus Tornieria in 1911.1
Still debated: Scientists still debate whether Tornieria gracilis is a valid species or just a variant of T. africana.1

Where the facts come from

Tornieria (en.wikipedia.org)
REVISION OF THE TENDAGURU SAUROPOD DINOSAUR TORNIERIA AFRICAN A (FRAAS) AND ITS RELEVANCE FOR SAUROPOD PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHY (bioone.org)
Tornieria 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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