| Amazonsaurus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conservation status | |
Extinct
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| clade: | Sauropoda |
| Genus: | Amazonsaurus |
| Species: | Diplodocoid |
| Subspecies: | Diplodocinae |
Amazonsaurus, meaning ("Amazon lizard") is a genus of diplodocoid sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of what is now South America. It would have been a large-bodied quadrupedal herbivore with a long neck and whiplash tail. Although more derived diplodocoids were some of the longest animals ever to exist, Amazonsaurus was probably not more than 12 meters (40 ft) long. Gregory S. Paul estimated in 2010 its weight at 5,000 kg.
This dinosaur maybe had a similar spiny build to that of Amargasaurus, as shown in the artist's depiction to the side. It's claimed to be around the length of T.Rex, around 12 meters, and a 6 foot adult could stand to its chest in a size depiction. It may have weighted around 3-5 tons in weight.
Description[]
The tall neural spines on the tail vertebrae identify Amazonsaurus as a diplodocoid sauropod, but the fragmentary nature of the only known specimen makes it difficult to place A. maranhensis more specifically within the superfamily Diplodocoidea. However, some features of these vertebrae suggest it may be a late-surviving member of a line of basal diplodocoids. At least one published cladistic analysis shows Amazonsaurus to be more derived than rebbachisaurids, but basal to dicraeosaurids and diplodocids within Diplodocoidea (Salgado et al., 2004).