Fun Lapparentosaurus Facts For Kids

The Jurassic age is known to have thousands of species of dinosaurs and a few of them were very similar to each other. Paleontologists try to figure out the history based on the fossils found and that leads to quite a commotion.

Lapparentosaurus was a gigantic land animal that was found roaming the Earth specifically in Madagascar during the Middle Jurassic era. They were sauropods and are considered herbivorous. Fossils of vertebrae as well as limb elements are found but no evidence of skulls were found.

The fossil of this dinosaur was found in Madagascar and it was initially accepted as Bothriospondylus but later in 1986, it was renamed as Lapparentosaurus by Jose F. Bonaparte. The classification was also initially considered to be brachiosaurids but later was found to belong to Cetiosauridae. There is a lack of proper description about this dinosaur and researchers are digging hard to get all the data required.

How do you pronounce 'Lapparentosaurus'?

These Middle Jurassic period dinosaurs were given the name 'Lapparentosaurus' by Argentine paleontologist Jose Fernando Bonaparte and Lapparentosaurus is pronounced as 'Lap-pa-ren-toe-sore-us'.

What type of dinosaur was a Lapparentosaurus?

Lapparentosaurus are considered to be bulky terrestrial animals based on Madagascan materials. They belong to the clades Saurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Sauropoda, and Eusauropoda, and belong to the family Cetiosauridae.

In which geological period did the Lapparentosaurus roam the Earth?

Based on various studies, it is said that the Lapparentosaurus existed during the Bathonian stage of the Jurassic which is around 168-165 million years ago.

When did the Lapparentosaurus become Extinct?

It is not exactly known when Lapparentosaurus went Extinct.

Where did Lapparentosaurus live?

The fossils of Lapparentosaurus were found in Madagascar and based on various researches this sauropodous dinosaur used to live in Madagascar (Isalo III Formation) during the Bathonian stage of the Middle Jurassic period.

What was the Lapparentosaurus' habitat?

This sauropod dinosaur was a terrestrial animal that is used to live on land. They are also considered to be herbivores so they should have lived in areas with huge forests or vegetation.

Who did the Lapparentosaurus live with?

Lapparentosaurus was a sauropod dinosaur and that could mean that they are both herbivores and social animals. So, they are thought to have lived in groups with other herbivore dinosaurs.

How long did a Lapparentosaurus live?

Various studies of age determination suggest that this sauropod dinosaur took 31-45 years to reach maturity. This species is also considered fast-growing based on the presence of large fibrolamellar bone but the exact lifespan remains unknown.

How did they reproduce?

This sauropod dinosaur took 31-45 years to reach sexual maturity. It is thought to have reproduced by laying eggs, like other dinosaurs.

What did the Lapparentosaurus look like?

Based on the fossil studies, this dinosaur belonged to the genus Lapparentosaurus. It had a ginormous body with thick pillar-type legs. Its tail was longer than its hind limbs and it probably used its tail as a defense against predators. They are also said to have long necks with small heads.

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

How many bones did a Lapparentosaurus have?

The exact number of bones of this genus is unknown because of the lack of fossils.

How did they communicate?

The communicative methods of this genus are unknown but dinosaurs, in general, used to communicate by symbolic calls, cracking sounds, visual communications, hoots, and hollers, and even through dances and songs.

How big was the Lapparentosaurus?

A Lapparentosaurus is estimated to be around 49 ft (15 m) in length and 19.7 ft (6 m) in height.

How fast could a Lapparentosaurus move?

This species belonged to the sauropod clade, so they were huge in size. They are known to be slow-paced dinosaurs, so they would have walked during travels.

How much did a Lapparentosaurus weigh?

The estimated weight of Lapparentosaurus is 50000 lb (22,680 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no separate male and female names assigned to the genus.

What would you call a baby Lapparentosaurus?

No specific names have been assigned for a baby Lapparentosaurus.

How aggressive were they?

As this genus belonged to the sauropod clade, they were not very aggressive. However, during a predator attack, they might have shown defensive.

Did You Know…

The fossil was initially assigned to be Bothriospondylus but later, based on the area found, this sauropod was renamed Lapparentosaurus madagascariensis and considered a separate genus.

The Lapparentosaurus was considered to be one of the largest animals that lived on land.

The name Lapparentosaurus means 'Lapparent's reptile'.

The phylogenetic relationships of Lapparentosaurus proved that they were not related brachiosaurids.

In-analysis in 2019 stated that this dinosaur is closely a part of paraphyletic Cetiosauridae and this statement was supported by the vertebral anatomy of the animal.

Although vertebrae, limb elements, and proper neural arches are found, no skull has been found to date.