Riojasaurus

Name meaning:

Lizard from La Rioja Province

Period of life:

227-213 mya

Period:

Triassic period

Habitat:

Floodplains

Taxonomy:

Sauropodomorphs

Countries:

Triassic period Riojasaurus | 3D Dinopedia

Tawa

Henodus

Riojasaurus ()

«lizard from the province of La Rioja».

Riojasaurus is one of the earliest giants on the planet, a close relative of Melanorosaurus. It lived at the boundary between the Triassic and Jurassic periods, when the Earth was only just beginning to fill with a diversity of dinosaurs.

It was a massive animal with a heavy body, powerful legs, and a long neck. The limb bones were notably dense and thick, supporting the considerable weight of the reptile. The teeth of Riojasaurus were leaf-shaped with small serrations along the edges, making them an ideal tool for eating tough vegetation. In the upper jaw it had five front teeth and a further twenty-four extending in a row almost to the eye sockets.

According to palaeontologists’ estimates, Riojasaurus reached a length of about seven meters and weighed roughly 800 kilograms. At the same time, its spine was surprisingly light—there were cavities inside the vertebrae, making the skeleton strong but not excessively heavy.

Research carried out by scientists at the University of Bristol showed that this ancient herbivore had several unique features that distinguished it from other dinosaurs from the Los Colorados Formation in Argentina. Among them were particularly long vertebrae, giving the neck of Riojasaurus a distinctive elegance.

Interestingly, Riojasaurus remains the only known representative of its group — the riojasaurids — to have lived in South America. Its fossils help scientists better understand how the first giant herbivorous dinosaurs developed, becoming the ancestors of the colossal sauropods of the Jurassic period.

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