Commonly known as the Chubut lizard, the Chubutisaurus is a herbivore genus of dinosaurs that belonged to the Early Cretaceous period, the fossils were found in the Albian stage which spanned from 112-99 million years ago. The dinosaur was classified as a sauropod, specifically one of the titanosaurs.
A paleontologist, Del Corro named the type species, Chubutisaurus insignis in 1975.
The fossils of the dinosaur were discovered from the Cerro Barcino Formation, Chubut Province, Argentina in the Albian period. It lived throughout the South American continent. It is also said that Argentina was the home to a huge number of long and short-necked sauropods in the Cretaceous period which spanned from 145-66 million years ago.
The average weight and length of the dinosaur were around 13.2 tons (11975 kg) and 59-75.5 ft (18-23 m), respectively. Research revealed that the dinosaur had a more robust radius than the Venorosaurus.
It is also said that titanosaurs were the last surviving group of long-necked sauropods. Like other sauropods, the dinosaur must have had a long neck, small head, long tail, and pillar-like legs.
The dinosaur was an herbivore and primarily fed on plants and leaves, due to their huge size, it can be said that the creature must have been able to reach trees and high branches, unlike short sauropods. While the Chubutisaurus must have inhabited lakes, rivers, and floodplains.
Let's read more fun facts about the Chubutisaurus, and if you find this article interesting, don't forget to check out exciting facts about different animals like Aragosaurus and Blikanasaurus.
Chubutisaurus Interesting Facts
How do you pronounce 'Chubutisaurus'?
The pronunciation of the term Chubutisaurus seems to be quite complicated, to make it easier we have a simple trick for you guys. Instead of memorizing the word, you just have to divide the whole word into five syllables like 'chu-bu-ti-saur-us'.
What type of dinosaur was a Chubutisaurus?
The Chubutisaurus dinosaur belongs to the clades of Dinosauria, and Sauropoda. Del Corro, a paleontologist, named the type species, Chubutisaurus insignis in 1975. The dinosaur was classified as a sauropod, specifically one of the titanosaurs. Species of Sauropoda are known for having long necks, tails, and pillar-like legs.
In which geological period did Chubutisaurus roam the Earth?
The sauropod dinosaur belonged to the Early Cretaceous period, the fossils were found in the Albian stage which spanned from 112-99 million years ago. During the Albian period, it lived throughout South America.
When did the Chubutisaurus become extinct?
Research suggests that the dinosaur became Extinct around 110 million years ago, the species must have become Extinct somewhere in the Early Cretaceous period. The reasons for extinction are unknown, but dinosaurs generally became extinct due to factors such as climate change, volcanic eruption, asteroid impact, drought, rivalry, and many more reasons.
Where did Chubutisaurus live?
The fossils of the dinosaur were discovered from the Cerro Barcino Formation, Chubut Province, Argentina. Studies also reveal that Argentina was the home to a huge number of long and short-necked sauropods in the Cretaceous period.
What was the Chubutisaurus' habitat?
Like other species of Sauropoda, these dinosaurs must have inhabited lakes, rivers, and floodplains. Fossil trackway also suggests that the sauropod dinosaur was able to swim in shallow water. The footprints are also found from coastlines and crossing floodplains.
Who did Chubutisaurus live with?
The sauropod dinosaur lived in groups. We can conclude that they were quite gregarious by knowing about their communal nesting habits. Young ones used to form separate herds, while adults must have taken care of young ones after birth. Also, they must have formed pairs during the breeding season.
How long did a Chubutisaurus live?
These dinosaurs were known for their slow metabolism which must have helped in a higher life span, no information regarding the life span of the Chubutisaurus is known as of now, but studies revealed that a few sauropod species must have lived for around 100 years.
How did they reproduce?
Like modern-day reptiles and birds, these dinosaurs reproduced by laying eggs. Studies also reveal that dinosaurs used to perform courtship displays before mating to attract potential partners, while it is also said that males must have fought with other competitors over females. Unlike most species of the Dinosauria clade, they used to nest in groups.
The incubation period was likely to have been between 65-85 days, while the litter size is not known as of now. Recovered fossils suggest that the eggs of sauropods were not bigger than a modern adult goose and they weighed less than 11 lb (5 kg) after hatching.
Chubutisaurus Fun Facts
What did Chubutisaurus look like?
Unlike Venorosaurus, the dinosaur had a more robust radius. Like other sauropods, the dinosaur must have had a long neck, small head, long tail, and pillar-like legs. It is also said that titanosaurs were the last surviving group of long-necked sauropods.
How many bones did a Chubutisaurus have?
No information regarding the number of bones is available as of now, but the dinosaur must have had the most number of bones in its neck. Also, sauropods were best known for their Pneumatic and hollow bones as the air spaces helped to reduce the overall weight they had. Also, bird-like hollowing was first recognized in the 19th century.
How did they communicate?
Very little is known about the communication patterns of the species, but like modern-day animals, these creatures used to communicate vocally and visually. Some believed that dinosaurs used to roar, but it's not actually true as roaring is more of a mammal thing.
During the mating season, dinosaurs used multiple courtship displays to attract potential partners, and males even used to fight over females.
How big was the Chubutisaurus?
While talking about the Chubutisaurus size, the average weight dinosaur was around 13.2 tons (11975 kg). In 2010, an American paleontologist, Gregory Paul, stated that the average length of the dinosaur was around 59 ft (18 m), while a more recent study performed by Thomas Holtz estimated its length to be around 75.5 ft (23 m).
The dinosaur was quite bigger than Magyarosaurus and Moabosaurus.
How fast could a Chubutisaurus move?
Generally, sauropods had an average speed of 5 mph (8 kph).
How much did a Chubutisaurus weigh?
The average weight of the dinosaur was estimated to be around 13.2 tons (11975 kg).
What were the male and female names of the species?
There are no specific names given to male and female dinosaurs; people generally call them Chubutisaurus insignis. Also, they were known as Chubut lizards.
What would you call a baby Chubutisaurus?
Like modern-day reptiles, the babies of these dinosaurs are known as hatchlings. Recovered fossils suggest that the eggs of sauropods were not bigger than a modern adult goose.
What did they eat?
Like other sauropods, these dinosaurs were herbivores and their diet primarily consists of leaves and plants. An interesting fact about sauropod is that the species used to replace their teeth to keep up with their large appetites.
Species such as Nigersaurus used to replace their teeth every 14 days, while Diplodocus used to replace each tooth every 35 days. Also, the strong spatula-shaped teeth must have helped in chewing plants easily.
How aggressive were they?
Very little is known about the social behavior of Chubutisaurus, but in general, sauropods were quite gregarious. They didn't use to turn violent without any specific reason, but some were quite territorial who used to fight with intruders.
Did you know...
Dreadnoughtus is regarded as the biggest sauropod dinosaur, the average length of the species is said to be around 85 ft (26 m).
Why are they called Chubutisaurus?
When fossils of the dinosaur were found from the Cerro Barcino Formation, Chubut Province, Argentina, and the creature came to be known as Chubutisaurus. The dinosaur is also referred to as the Chubut lizard.
Who discovered Chubutisaurus?
The dinosaur was discovered by Del Corro in 1975.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other creatures from our Amazonsaurus facts, or Argyrosaurus facts for kids.
As a content writer, Abhishek's passion for writing extends beyond professional content creation. With a Bachelor's degree in History from Ram Lal Anand College in Delhi, Abhishek is a skilled writer in both English and Hindi, bringing a creative flair to his work. He enjoys crafting satires and poetry and is dedicated to producing engaging and informative content.
Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR
Pradhanya RaoBachelor of Commerce specializing in Marketing and HR
With a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Christ University, Bangalore, Pradhanya's passion for the English language and literature led her to explore the field of content writing, where she has gained extensive experience in writing, reviewing, editing, and fact-checking. She has also earned certifications in Google Ads Search, Google Ads Display, and Social Media Marketing, showcasing her proficiency in digital marketing.
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