Fun Atlasaurus Facts For Kids

Due to its enormous size, one dinosaur group reigned supreme in the dinosaur kingdom. Sauropods, also known as lizard-hipped dinosaurs, had a small head, long neck, massive gut, pillar-like legs, and a long tail (similar to that of a lizard). The Atlasaurus imelakei belonged to this giant family that roamed north Africa during the Bathonian period of the middle Jurassic epoch. In Morocco, paleontologists discovered a single, nearly complete skeleton of this dinosaur. This discovery is the foundation of all knowledge about this dinosaur.

This plant-eating giant resembled the Brachiosaurus, a North American Brachiosaurid. The Atlasaurus was a Sauropod with a unique structure that included longer legs but a short neck. Many scientists have been perplexed by this adaptation. While it allowed it to forage through the tall vegetation, it made it difficult for it to bend to feed or drink. Eofauna Scientific Research has created a museum-quality Atlasaurus model on a 1:40 scale. So, if you're a dinosaur model collector, take a look at this fantastic replica from Eofauna.

Continue reading to uncover cool facts related to this primitive Sauropod! On Kidadl, you can learn interesting facts about dinosaurs like the Chilantaisaurus and the Hesperosaurus.

How do you pronounce Atlasaurus?

The name Atlasaurus is pronounced AT-luh-SAWR-us. The species type name A. imelakei is pronounced ee-me-LAH-kay-ie.

What type of dinosaur was an Atlasaurus?

There is some debate about what kind of dinosaur an Atlasaurus was. It was initially thought to be a Macronarian member, which is a group of primitive Sauropods. The Brachiosaurus, the Camarasaurus, and Titanosaurs are among the members of this group. But where exactly this dinosaur fits in this large group remained a mystery. According to recent research, the Atlasaurus family is related to the Brachiosaurus family (a Brachiosaurid member).

In which geological period did the Atlasaurus roam the Earth?

Middle Jurassic (168.3 to 166.1 million years ago) is the time period when the mighty Atlasaurus roamed the world.

When did the Atlasaurus become extinct?

According to a study, the last known time period for this Sauropod was 166.1 million years ago.

Where did an Atlasaurus live?

Wawmda in the Tilougguit Basin was the Atlasaurus habitat. This type of locality was characterized by a Bathonian wet floodplain sandstone or siltstone in the middle Jurassic era. The fossil was discovered in Morocco's Guettioua formation, Atlas Mountains, Azilal province.

What was an Atlasaurus's habitat?

The Atlasaurus was a land-dwelling/terrestrial dinosaur.

Who did an Atlasaurus live with?

The Atlasaurus, as a Sauropod, may have been a gregarious species. However, no information on who this dinosaur lived with has been discovered. If they hung out in packs remains unknown as well.

How long did an Atlasaurus live?

The lifespan of an Atlasaurus has yet to be determined.

How did they reproduce?

Detailed information on mating behavior and the reproduction cycle has yet to be seen. The Atlasaurus must have been oviparous because it is related to Sauropods. They would have reproduced through egg-laying.

What did an Atlasaurus look like?

The Atlasaurus was a one-of-a-kind Sauropod because of its leg-to-body ratio. According to research on the recovered specimen, the dinosaur had a shorter neck than the rest of the body. Furthermore, it had longer limbs. In a nutshell, the Atlasaurus was a dinosaur with a short neck, a large gut, extra-long legs, and a long tail. It was a quadruped, which means it moved from one location to another using all four of its limbs.

It had a spherical form, which was similar to the form of the Brachiosaurus, especially the vertebrae and limbs. The difference between the two species lies in the length of the dorsal vertebral column. The Atlasaurus had a larger skull, a short neck, a long tail and limbs. Research showed that in the elongated limbs of the dinosaur, the humerus to femur ratio was 0.99 while the ulna to tibia ratio was 1:15. The short neck at least had 13 cervical vertebrae, which was shorter but more uniform compared to the cervical vertebrae seen in the Brachiosaurus. In the skull, 27.16 in (69 cm) was the length of the lower jaw and the short neck was around 12.66 ft (3.86 m) long. The length of the humerus was 6.39 ft (1.95 m) and the femur was around 6.56 ft (2 m). The teeth inside the jaw were spoon or spatula-shaped with serrated edges.

How many bones did an Atlasaurus have?

The Atlasaurus fossil has only been discovered once. A research study was conducted based on this specimen to describe the dinosaur's bone structure. Atlasaurus bones recovered include a dorsal vertebral column with approximately 12 vertebrae. The total number of bones in the Atlasaurus form is unknown.

How did they communicate?

It is unknown how these Sauropods communicated with one another. According to one study on Sauropods, this family of dinosaurs may have used their long tail like a bullwhip. This long tail's supersonic sounds could have been used to communicate danger or attract mates. However, no specific research has been carried out to determine how the Atlasaurus communicated.

How big was an Atlasaurus?

The Atlasaurus was a strange-looking giant Sauropod. An adult dinosaur was estimated to be 49.21 ft (15 m) in length. It is thought to have the longest leg-to-body ratio, with legs nearly 15 ft (4.57 m) in length. The Atlasaurus size was shorter and smaller than the size of Brachiosaurs, which were estimated to be between 59 and 69 ft (18 and 21 m) long.

How fast could an Atlasaurus move?

The exact speed at which an Atlasaurus could move is unknown. However, some researchers believe that the dinosaur's long and well-proportioned limbs would have allowed it to move faster than other Brachiosaurid members.

How much did an Atlasaurus weigh?

The weight of these Sauropods is estimated to have been around 53,131.41 lb (24,100 kg). Brachiosaurs were larger in size than the Atlasaurus, weighing approximately 127,868 lb (57,999.94 kg).

What were male and female names of the species?

Both male and female members of the species had the same name.

What would you call a baby Atlasaurus?

A baby Atlasaurus is referred to as a juvenile or young one.

What did they eat?

This middle Jurassic epoch herbivore was a primitive Sauropod. The Atlasaurus diet consisted primarily of vegetation seen during this time period. The denticles on their spoon-like teeth would have allowed the species to crop vegetation at a high level. Their long limbs were another adaptation that helped them to be excellent top-feeders.

How aggressive were they?

Very little information is known about the nature of these giant Sauropods. Like other Sauropods, they might have shown aggression when challenged by predators. However, no research has been conducted in this direction.

Did you know...

These dinosaurs were named by Monbaron,‭ ‬Russell, and ‬Taquet‭ ‬in‭ ‬1999 based on the location the dinosaur was found.

The 1:40 Eofauna Atlasaurus figure comes with a bonus card that displays its basic information.

The dinosaur's dorsal vertebral column was approximately 10 ft (3.04 m).

In 2018, the 180 kg fossilized dinosaur tail was auctioned for 1.8 million Mexican pesos to raise funds for earthquake reconstruction.

How did the Atlasaurus get its name?

The name Atlasaurus was inspired by the location where it was discovered as well as its large body size. The nearly complete skeleton of a Sauropod was discovered in Morocco's Atlas Mountains, north Africa. This is also the location where the Greek titan Atlas was tasked with carrying the world on his shoulders. The scientific name, Atlasaurus imelakei, is derived from the Arabic term imelakei, which means giant or titan.

How many teeth did the Atlasaurus have?

This information is still unknown. What is known is that the Atlasaurus' tooth was shaped like a spoon. The teeth of this Sauropod were known to have denticles or serrations. It is unknown how strong they were.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures by reading our Prosaurolophus facts or our Chungkingosaurus facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable cute dinosaur coloring pages.

*The second image is by Levi Bernardo.