Fun Abrosaurus Facts For Kids
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The Abrosaurus was discovered in 1984 in Dashanpu quarry in the Sichuan province of China by Chinese paleontologist, Ouyang Hui.
In 1986, in a thesis based on his findings, Ouyang first named it A. gigantorhinus or Abrosaurus gigantorhinus. The classification has undergone changes since then as the remains of this dinosaur were found in an extremely fragmented condition and to date, scientists are unsure whether the genus is separate or not.
The Abrosaurus, like most sauropods, was a herbivore and from the remains found, it was rather a small sauropod about 30 ft (9.14Â m) in length.
The Abrosaurus was called 'delicate lizard' by its generic name which refers to its Greek name meaning delicate lizard because of its head, which had large openings which were separated by bony struts. The head had a crest mark also.
Only one named species is called A. dongpoi, and is named after a famous poet of the 11th-century in China named Su Shi, or also called Su Dongpo.
You can read more about other dinosaurs like the Pawpawsaurus and Palaeoscincus here.
Abrosaurus Interesting Facts
How do you pronounce 'Abrosaurus'?
The Abrosaurus or delicate lizard sauropod is pronounced as 'ab-roe-sore-us'.
What type of dinosaur was an Abrosaurus?
The Abrosaurus was a small sauropod with a lightly built skull. It†was a Maronarian sauropod separated by a thin margin from ‬Brachiosaurus and Camarasaurus. ‬The Camarasaurus is considered to be a close relative of this sauropod Abrosaurus.
In which geological period did the Abrosaurus roam the earth?
The Abrosaurus was a dinosaur from the middle Jurassic Period which was about 163.5 million years ago to 157.3 million years ago.
When did the Abrosaurus become extinct?
Abrosaurus gigantorhinus dinosaur became extinct around 163.5 million years ago. In the fossils, bony struts were found which had large openings. These were discovered in 1984 and had a length of 30 ft (9.14Â m). This small dinosaur was also considered a small lizard sauropod and they used to live in the middle Jurassic age.
Where did the Abrosaurus live?
The Abrosaurus was a terrestrial animal and spent most of its life living in the forest. It was a herbivore dinosaur according to research available from the fossils found in China.
The Abrosaurus ate plants and long grass. The Abrosaurus diet was quite manageable as plenty of plants were available at that time. The Abrosaurus weight was around 5 ton (4535.92 kg) and the average Abrosaurus height was 30 ft (9.14Â m).
What was the Abrosaurus' habitat?
The Abrosaurus, a sauropod, lived in the forest and grasslands of Sichuan province with plenty of plants and water available according to the research available. The taxon genus Abrosaurus lived in the forest with macronarian sauropod dinosaurs from the Middle Jurassic Period of what is now Sichuan, China. It was a quadrupedal herbivore, about 30 ft (9.14 m) long.
Who did the Abrosaurus live with?
This dinosaur of the middle Jurassic period, Abrosaurus dinosaurs lived in packs as they were herbivores and became prey to carnivores like big dinosaurs. They also hunted in packs. Not much information is available about who this dinosaur lived with from the fossils found.
The studies from its skull show that this species was highly skeptical of big dinosaurs. The Abrosaurus shared its habitat with other sauropods like Omeisaurus,â€Â ‬Shunosaurus, Dashanpusaurus,†and Camarasaurus. The remains of all these dinosaurs came from a single fossil formation.
How long did an Abrosaurus live?
Not much data is available on this. This species was found to be very shy of nature and research shows that the forest area was the only area they roamed around. Abrosaurus, the delicate lizard, has had only one fossil found and not much information has been discovered from it.
How did they reproduce?
Abrosaurus gigantorhinus was an oviparous animal and used to lay eggs like most sauropods.
Abrosaurus Fun Facts
What did the Abrosaurus look like?
The Abrosaurus was a large dinosaur in general but was very small compared to other sauropods. It was 5 ton (4535.92 kg) in weight. The weight of this dinosaur was much lower than other sauropods which appeared after it.
Just like other sauropods, the Abrosaurus also had a very long neck. Long necks used to be a key and common feature of all sauropods.
The head of Abrosaurus had a typical crest mark and was very geometric in shape. Its legs were very short and thick. Remains of the Abrosaurus have not been described completely, and so it is difficult to understand the complete taxonomy of this small sauropod dinosaur.
How many bones did an Abrosaurus have?
Not much is known about the number of bones this dinosaur of the middle Jurassic period had.
How did they communicate?
The Abrosaurus used to live with other dinosaurs like the Omeisaurus,â€Â ‬Shunosaurus, Dashanpusaurus,†and Camarasaurus. All these dinosaurs are known from the same fossil formation as the Abrosaurus, also known as the delicate lizard.
How big was the Abrosaurus?
The length of this species of the genus Abrosaurus was about 30-32 ft (9.14-9.75Â m).
How fast could an Abrosaurus move?
We do not know the speed at which this dinosaur walked or ran. However, it was a very heavy dinosaur so we would expect it to be quite slow-moving.
How much did an Abrosaurus weigh?
According to research, the Abrosaurus weighed around 5 ton (4535.92 kg) and was considered a small sauropod.
What were the male and female names of the species?
There are no particular names for a male and a female of this dinosaur species of Sichuan, China. It used to be very difficult to distinguish between the male and female Abrosaurus dongpoi.
What would you call a baby Abrosaurus?
A baby of this herbivore dinosaur species does not have any particular name. They are called baby Abrosaurus. This species was named after a famous Chinese poet of the 11th-century named Su Shi, also called Su Dongpo.
What did they eat?
This Maronarian sauropod dinosaur used to be a herbivore and so it mainly fed on plant materials. Pine needles, flowers, leaves, grasses, twigs, and fruits used to be in its diet.
How aggressive were they?
They were moderately aggressive. On getting provoked by another Maronarian, this long-necked with a unique head dinosaur would have entered into a fight.
Did you know...
Fossils of this small sauropod Abrosaurus are currently preserved at the Zingong Dinosaur Museum.
How did the Abrosaurus get its name?
The Abrosaurus was discovered in 1984 in Dashanpu quarry in the Sichuan province of China by Chinese paleontologist Ouyang Hui. In 1986 in a thesis based on his findings, Ouyang first named it A. gigantorhinus or Abrosaurus gigantorhinus.
The meaning of the name of this small sauropod is 'delicate lizard'. The skull had some large openings which were separated by some bony struts. This species was named after a famous 11th-century Chinese poet, Su Shi, also called Su Dongpo.
Were they herbivores?
Abrosaurus dinosaurs were herbivores because they used to eat plants and grass. Classification of fossils also proves that the Abrosaurus was a herbivore. The classification of this particular dinosaur has undergone a lot of changes.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other dinosaurs from our Niobrarasaurus facts and Crichtonsaurus facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Abrosaurus dinosaur coloring pages.
Main image by Levà Bernardo MartÃnez
Second image by Dmitry Bogdanov
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Dedicated and experienced, Nidhi is a professional content writer with a strong reputation for delivering high-quality work. She has contributed her expertise to esteemed organizations, including Network 18 Media and Investment Ltd. Driven by her insatiable curiosity and love for journalism and mass communication, Nidhi pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, graduating with distinction in 2021. During her college years, she discovered her passion for Video Journalism, showcasing her skills as a videographer for her institution. Nidhi's commitment to making a positive impact extends beyond her professional pursuits. Actively engaging in volunteer work, she has contributed to various events and initiatives throughout her academic career.
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