Moabosaurus

Moabosaurus is known from over 5,500 bones from at least 18 individuals, all found in one quarry.1

Many of its bones were damaged by trampling and by insects, probably beetle larvae, that ate parts of the bones before they were buried.1

Its neck and back vertebrae had extremely low spines and large air chambers, making the bones lighter and stronger.1

Moabosaurus lived alongside the theropod dinosaurs Utahraptor and Nedcolbertia, as well as the armored dinosaur Gastonia.1

The rocks that contain Moabosaurus fossils are about 125 million years old, based on tiny zircon crystals.1

Scientists disagree on exactly where Moabosaurus fits in the dinosaur family tree: some say it is a close relative of Camarasaurus, while others place it in a group called Turiasauria.1