Ingentia prima

† Ingentia prima — a Late Triassic massospondylid-like sauropodomorph from San Juan Province, Argentina. Large herbivore (~9–10 m long, ~7,000–9,000 kg); remarkably large for a Triassic dinosaur. 'First giant' demonstrates that sauropodomorph gigantism originated in the Triassic, earlier than prev.

Diet & Feeding

Herbivore

Ingentia prima 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

Triassic Late Mesozoic Era

Ingentia prima lived during the Triassic Late period of the Mesozoic Era, approximately 237.0 to 201.4 million years ago.

The first true dinosaurs appeared during the late Triassic, including early theropods like Eoraptor and Herrerasaurus. Dinosaurs were still small and not yet dominant. The period ended with the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event.