Ampelosaurus atacis

†Ampelosaurus atacis was a titanosaurian sauropod from the Late Cretaceous (~70-66 Ma) of the Aude department, France. Reaching ~15m and bearing bony skin armor (osteoderms), it was named by Le Loeuff in 1995. The most completely known titanosaur from Europe, it is well-represented by multiple partial skeletons from the Fox-Amphoux quarry — among the richest European dinosaur sites.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Ampelosaurus atacis 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 Late Mesozoic Era

Ampelosaurus atacis lived during the Cretaceous Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 100.5 to 66.0 million years ago.

The final age of dinosaurs, featuring iconic species like Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and Velociraptor. Dinosaurs reached their peak diversity before the catastrophic asteroid impact at the Chicxulub crater ended the Mesozoic Era.