Fun Chromogisaurus Facts For Kids

The Chromogisaurus novasi was a genus of basal sauropodomorph from the family of Guaibasauridae. These dinosaurs were said to have lived during the Cranian age of the Late Triassic period approximately around 230 million years ago. Their remains were discovered in the Ischigualasto Formation of Cancha de Bochas in Argentina.

This dinosaur genus had small herbivores members with a height of not more than 6.7 ft (2 m). They could shift from being bipedal to quadrupedal when they felt necessary. They had a slender body with a tiny, hollow skull, shorter forelimbs, and thick hind legs. The exact features are unknown because the only discovered specimen is of an incomplete skeleton consisting of back and front legs, the pelvis, and caudal vertebrae. In 2010, this species was named by Martin Daniel Ezcurra with reference to its discovery location, and the Argentinian paleontologist, Fernando Novas.

The Chromogisaurus is one of the first dinosaurs to have evolved through the Late Triassic and became larger, dominant herbivores of the terrestrial environment during the Norian Age of the Late Triassic, meeting its decline somewhere around the Early Cretaceous period.

If you enjoy reading about prehistoric wildlife, check out these Puertasaurus and the Zigongosaurus facts.

How do you pronounce 'Chromogisaurus'? 

The word 'Chromogisaurus' is derived from a Greek word and is pronounced as 'Kro-Mo-Ge-sor-us'.

What type of dinosaur was a Chromogisaurus?

The Chromogisaurus Novasi was a saturnaliine sauropodomorph, which is a basal genus of sauropodomorpha.

In which geological period did the Chromogisaurus roam the earth?

The members of this basal genus lived during the Carnian era of the Upper or Late Triassic period.

When did the Chromogisaurus become extinct?

The Chromogisaurus is estimated to have gone extinct around 228-237 million years ago.

Where did a Chromogisaurus live? 

The type species, Chromogisaurus novasi, belongs to the family of saurischian dinosaurs belonging to the family of Guaibasauridae, and these were mainly found in Brazil, Zimbabwe, and Argentina. These were discovered in the Ischigualasto Formation of Cancha de Bochas, Valle Pintado (Painted Valley) in Argentina.

What was a Chromogisaurus' habitat? 

Not much is known about the specific habitat inhabited by these dinosaurs. However, members of Sauropodomorpha are known to have lived in terrestrial wetlands, and coastal plains.

Who did a Chromogisaurus live with?

The exact lifestyle patterns of this sauropodomorph member are unknown. However, based on the discoveries of other saurischian species, they may have lived in herds.

How long did a Chromogisaurus live?

The exact lifespan of these dinosaurs is unknown.

How did they reproduce?

There is minimal evidence to help find out the exact reproduction process of these dinosaurs. However, it is confirmed that they were oviparous, and since they were lighter than other sauropods, they could have incubated their eggs themselves instead of relying on geothermal factors. In addition, the members of this genus may have reached sexual maturity before reaching their adult age. This can be said because a study led by Griebeler concluded that Sauropodomorpha growth rates were similar to precocial birds and even the black rhinoceros. There is also a possibility that these dinosaurs may have nested on the ground or in burrows but in well-vegetated regions. They also made sure a water source was nearby and that the nest was not in direct sight of the predators.

What did a Chromogisaurus look like?

Based on limited evidence, the physical Chromogisaurus outline is hard to figure out. However, it is speculated that they had small skulls, thin, long hind legs, shorter forelimbs, and a long, tapering tail. This Late Triassic dinosaur is considered to be one of the basal sauropodomorphs.

How many bones did a Chromogisaurus have?

Although not much is known about the exact bone count of these dinosaurs, the discovered fossil is made of up a few portions of the front and hind limbs, pieces of the pelvic region, and a couple of caudal vertebrae.

How did they communicate?

The communication pattern of this sauropodomorph genus is unknown. However, if they did live in herds like other sauropods, they could have communicated through visual as well as vocal indications.

How big was a Chromogisaurus? 

The Chromogisaurus Novasi was rather small, measuring only 6.7 ft (2 m) in length, which is twice that of the great dane. They were known to grow around 2-3 ft (0.9 m) in height which is similar to that of the wood stork.

How fast could a Chromogisaurus move?

Not much is known about the movement speed of this sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Ischigualasto Formation, Argentina.

How much did a Chromogisaurus weigh?

Due to the lack of discovered fossil remains, the weight of these members of Sauropodomorpha is unknown.

What were the male and female names of the species?

The male and females of this species do not have separate names. They are both referred to as Chromogisaurus.

What would you call a baby Chromogisaurus?

There is no specific name given to the baby of this genus, so it can simply be called a juvenile.

What did they eat? 

The Chromogisaurus novasi was a genus of basal herbivore dinosaurs. The main source of their diet was grasses, but they were also known to have eaten almost any type of flora.

How aggressive were they?

Since this dinosaur belongs to Sauropodomorpha, we know that they are calm in nature. Besides being herbivores, this genus was also quite tiny which means their level of aggression would be negligible compared to other dinosaurs of their time. If anything, these dinosaurs had bigger predators and they may have been aggressive when threatened.

Did you know...

The Chromogisaurus belonged to Guaibasauridae along with relatives such as the Panphagia, Agnosphitys, Guaibasaurus, and Saturnalia.

The Chromogisaurus forms a smaller clade called Saturnaliinae within its sister taxon Saturnalia.

These dinosaurs are speculated to have been predated by rauisuchians and emerging theropod dinosaurs.

Birds and crocodiles are the closest living relatives of the Sauropod dinosaur species.

What does 'Chromogisaurus' mean?

The word Chromogisaurus is derived from the Greek word 'Chroma' which means color and 'Ge', which means Earth. This name was coined by Martin Daniel Ezcurra because of the location of the discovery being the Valle Pintado or Painted Valley. The specific name 'Novasi' was coined in honor of Argentinian paleontologist, Fernando Emilio Novas.

How was the Chromogisaurus discovered?

The exact information regarding the discovery of this species is unknown. This Late Triassic member of Sauropodomorpha was found in the Ischigualasto Formation of Cancha de Bochas, Valle Pintado (Painted Valley). In addition, it was a partial specimen with a missing Chromogisaurus skull, two caudal vertebrae, parts of the back and front limbs, and the pelvis.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these draconyx interesting facts and Yinlong facts for kids pages.

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

Image one by Emily Willoughby.

Image two by Paleocolour.

**We've been unable to source an image of Chromogisaurus and have used an image of Massospondylus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Chromogisaurus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].