Amargasaurus cazaui

†Amargasaurus cazaui was one of the most distinctive sauropods — a dicraeosaurid from the Early Cretaceous (~130 Ma) of Argentina. Reaching ~10m, it bore two parallel rows of elongated neural spines along its neck and back, possibly forming a sail or skin-covered structure for display or thermoregulation. Named by Bonaparte in 1991, it was found in La Amarga Formation, Neuquén.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Amargasaurus cazaui was a plant-eating dinosaur. Herbivores typically fed on ferns, cycads, conifers, and other vegetation available during their era. Many herbivorous dinosaurs developed specialized teeth and digestive systems for processing tough plant material.

Time Period

Cretaceous Early Mesozoic Era

Amargasaurus cazaui lived during the Cretaceous Early period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 145.0 to 100.5 million years ago.

The Cretaceous saw continued dinosaur evolution with the rise of ornithopods and early ceratopsians. Flowering plants first appeared and began to transform terrestrial ecosystems. Spinosaurus and other large theropods lived during this time.