Chakisaurus nekul

† Chakisaurus nekul is a medium-sized ornithopod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Allen Formation of Río Negro Province, Argentina. A biped herbivore, it browsed on low-growing angiosperms and ferns in the Patagonian floodplain environment. The genus name derives from the Mapuche word chakis, meaning 'lizard-like creature,' while nekul means 'fast.' Its discovery adds to the diversity of South American iguanodontians.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Chakisaurus nekul 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

Chakisaurus nekul 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.