21 Roar-some Facts About The Sonorasaurus That Kids Will Love

Sonorasaurus Interesting Facts

How do you pronounce 'Sonorasaurus'? 

The name 'Sonorasaurus' is pronounced as 'So-nor-ah-sore-us'. The name was given by paleontologist Ronald Paul Ratkevich in 1998.

What type of dinosaur was a Sonorasaurus?

Sonorasarus was a sauropod dinosaur, further classified into a brachiosaurid. This dinosaur was a member of the Brachiosauridae family.

In which geological period did the Sonorasaurus roam the earth?

The temporal range of Sonorasarus corresponds to the years of the Early to Late Cretaceous. This dinosaur existed 93-112 million years ago. More precisely, it was alive from the Albian to the Cenomanian stages, starting from the Early Cretaceous and ending in the Late Cretaceous.

When did the Sonorasaurus become extinct?

Due to the lack of fossil remains proving otherwise, it can be assumed that Sonorasaurus became extinct towards the end of the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous.

Where did a Sonorasaurus live? 

The Sonorasaurus location was in the Sonoran Desert, located in the state of southern Arizona, southeast of Tucson. More precisely, the fossils of this dinosaur, which later came to be Arizona's official state dinosaur, were found in the Turney Ranch Formation of the Sonoran Desert. Apart from Sonorasaurus, Arizona and Tucson were home to other dinosaurs like Ammosaurus, Syntarsus, and so on. The name 'Sonorasaurus', given by Ronald Paul Ratkevich, is an indication of its place of discovery, as it translates to 'Sonora lizard'. The discovery of the fossils of this animal was made by a geology student named Richard Thompson in 1994. So, what do you think? You might as well stumble on a fossil if you are on the search!

What was a Sonorasaurus's habitat? 

The habitat of Sonorasaurus was characterized by semi-arid conditions that gave rise to evergreen woodlands. The rainfall in this region was variable, and further research is required to assess the exact precipitation levels throughout the year. The flora in this region of Arizona state consisted of conifers and pines.

Who did a Sonorasaurus live with?

Sonorasaurus thompsoni may have been a solitary animal. This is because another member of this family, Brachiosaurus (belonging to Late Jurassic), is thought to have been solitary, as well. However, the discovery of more fossils would give researchers a better idea about the social structure of this species.

How long did a Sonorasaurus live?

Though the exact lifespan of Sonorasaurus is not known, this dinosaur probably lived up to 30 or more, a similar life range to other members of the Brachiosauridae family.

How did they reproduce?

Sonorasaurus was oviparous, so reproduction took place through eggs. However, the exact number of eggs laid by this dinosaur has not yet been found due to a lack of fossil specimens. In general, it is known that sauropods lay between 15-40 eggs. Once the baby dinosaurs hatched out, they would grow exponentially, even after crossing the age of sexual maturity.

Sonorasaurus Fun Facts

What did a Sonorasaurus look like?

All the physical traits of the Sonorasaurus dinosaur, the official state dinosaur belonging to Arizona State, are yet to be established since scientists do not have access to a complete skeleton. However, the remains of Sonorasaurus discovered to date have certainly shed some light on its physical attributes.

Being a member of the Brachiosauridae family, Sonorasaurus had some characteristics typical to this group. This dinosaur had a long neck and quite a giant body. There were four pillar-like legs that provided support to the overall frame of the body. However, in comparison to other brachiosaurid, Sonorasaurus was comparatively smaller. Apart from all this, the skull fossil of this dinosaur that was recovered showed that it had a nasal opening placed at the top of its head. In addition, it had the typical brachiosaurid spoon-like teeth in its jaws.

How many bones did a Sonorasaurus have?

A complete skeleton of Sonorasaurus has not been unearthed, and hence, researchers have not been able to calculate the exact number of bones this animal possessed. However, the bones that have been found to date include parts of the shoulder blade, limb joints, and ribs. Nevertheless, these partial remains have helped paleontologists deduce various aspects about this dinosaur.

How did they communicate?

Even though the patterns of communication used by the Sonorasaurus remain a mystery, since this dinosaur was a brachiosaur, it can be assumed it communicated using methods that are similar to the other members of its group. In general, brachiosaurs are known to have communicated through vocal and visual means, with the help of various calls and bodily movements.

How big was a Sonorasaurus? 

Despite being a brachiosaurid, Sonorasaurus was not very large in size. This dinosaur had a length of 49 ft (15 m) and a height of 26 ft (8 m). When compared to the related Brachiosaurus, which had a length range of 59-69 ft (18-21 m), it is quite clear that Sonorasaurus was significantly smaller.

How fast could a Sonorasaurus move?

The exact speed of Sonorasaurus is yet to be ascertained. However, dinosaurs belonging to the same family as Sonorasaurus showed moderate to high speeds while running. For instance, the mighty Brachiosaurus had a speed of about 10 mph (16 kph). Since Sonorasaurus was smaller, its speed probably varied a bit in comparison to that of Brachiosaurus'.

How much did a Sonorasaurus weigh?

The weight of Sonorasaurus, the official state dinosaur of Arizona, is thought to have been somewhere around 35 ton (31751.5 kg). This dinosaur is often compared to a small herd of elephants due to its enormous size.

What were the male and female names of the species?

The male and female Sonorasaurus have no species names assigned to them. They are simply referred to as male Sonorasaurus and female Sonorasaurus.

What would you call a baby Sonorasaurus?

A baby Sonorasaurus would be known as a hatchling.

What did they eat? 

Like other brachiosaurid dinosaurs, the Sonorasaurus was also herbivorous in nature. It relied on the various plants and the dominant flora in its environment to sustain its diet. Sonorasaurus had species spoon-like teeth, which aided the dinosaur in consuming plants that are tough in nature. Interestingly, this dinosaur, along with other brachiosaurs, resorted to slicing through their food instead of pulling it off from the branches.

How aggressive were they?

Since Sonorasaurus was a herbivorous animal, it can be safely assumed that it was not aggressive.

Did you know...

This dinosaur was given the specific epithet of 'Thompsoni' after Richard Thompson, who found the remains of this dinosaur.

Who discovered Sonorasaurus, where and when?

Sonorasaurus was discovered by Richard Thompson, a student of geology, in the year 1994. This event took place in the Sonoran Desert, part of southern Arizona. Following this discovery, Thompson reported to the paleontologist Ronald Paul Ratkevich, who continued further investigations to secure more fossils. The entire process came to an end in 1999. However, a year earlier, in 1998, Ratkevich successfully described and named this new dinosaur. Exactly 20 years later, in 2018, Sonorasaurus became the official state dinosaur of Arizona.

What was unique about the Sonorasaurus?

While a lot of unique features are related to Sonorasaurus, the unique feature is probably the fact that this dinosaur lived during the Cretaceous period. This is because earlier research suggested that sauropods, the clade to which brachiosaurs belong, were extinct in North America before the start of the Cretaceous period, during the Jurassic. However, the presence of Sonorasaurus confirms that sauropods did exist during the Cretaceous era as well, even if they were not as common.

*The first image is by Dmitry Bogdanov.

*The second image is by Mproart.