| Dinheirosaurus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Name | Dinheirosaurus | |||
| Order | Saurischia | |||
| Suborder | Sauropoda | |||
| Class | Diplodocidae | |||
| Name Translation | Porto Dinheiro lizard | |||
| Period | Late Jurassic 155-150 million years ago | |||
| Location | Europe | |||
| Diet | Herbivore | |||
| Size | Estimated 70-80 feet (21.5-24.6 meters) long and 15 tons | |||
Dinheirosaurus (din-HY-row-SORE-us) was a member of the sauropod family known as the diplodocids that lived in Europe during the Late Jurassic Period.
Discovery
In 1987 a team of scientists came across a bonebed in the cliffs of Porto Dinheiro Lourinha in Portugal that revealed the
Dinosaur Revolution Dinheirosaurus
habitat of a water hole-type environement. In this fossil-rich gravel there the unmistakable bones of a sauropod were found in 1992. They were examined in 1999 and were found to be a new species of diplodocid. It was dubbed Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis (Porto Dinheiro lizard from Lourinha), and offered new intel as to what life during the Jurassic Period in Europe may have held. It was also found alongside several specimens of predators like Allosaurus and the vicious Torvosaurus, smaller reptiles like Ornitholestes and Rhamphorhynchus, and even a long-necked, spikey stegosaur called Miragaia.
Dinheirosaurus Vertebrae
Paleobiology
Like other diplodocids, Dinheirosaurus was relatively very long and slender. It's neck was v
ery extended and at the end of it was a small head with peg-like teeth designed for stripping the vegetation off ferns. From a few vertebrae it's been estimated to have been roughly 70–80 feet (21.5-24.6) meters long and weigh about 15 tons. Although it's true length is unknown, scientists can say with quite a bit of confidence that the tail was about 35 feet (10.8 meters) long and was capable of acting like a whip when needed against either predators or rivals. Like all other large, Late Jurassic sauropods, Dinheirosaurus was a quadruped, and moved around on four thick but slow-moving legs. It also likely migrated with other herd members from watering hole to watering hole to keep themselves sustained with enough food and water, and since they were so large, they needed a lot of it. One feature that it shares with other diplodocids is that it likely had spines that ran down its back and it probably swallowed stones called gastroliths to help aid it in digestion.
In popular culture
Dinheirosaurus was featured in the 2011 documentary Dinosaur Revolution, where one whipped a baby Allosaurus and broke its jaw, but returned later with its herd and the broken-jawed theropod got its revenge by biting off the end of its tail. A few days later a Torvosaurus arrives at the water hole and drives the Allosaurus out before trying to kill the Dinheirosaurus and its baby. But it's intimidated by the giant sauropod and in backing up ne
Dinheirosaurus protecting its young from Torvosaurus
arly stepped on a baby Miragaia, which causes the adults to join the fight before the megalosaurid tackles the adult Dinheirosaurus and goes after the retreating juvenile. But before it's eaten, the Allosaurus returns and attacks the Torvosaurus before the Dinheirosaurus comes and finishes it off. A few weeks later a herd of huge Lustotitan comes and drinks the last of the water, causing the Dinheirosaurus herd to migrate off again.
References
Websites:
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv/dinosaur-revolution/photos/watering-hole-pictures-03.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinheirosaurus
http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/d/dinheirosaurus.html
Documentaries:
Dinosaur Revolution