Fun Lirainosaurus Facts For Kids

The Lirainosaurus was a genus of dinosaurs that roamed the Earth during the late Cretaceous period. It was a larger genus type of Titanosaurid Sauropod dinosaurs and shared many physical characteristics with other types of Sauropods. In 1999, this type was described for the first time by a group of paleontologists including Powell, Martinez, Sanz, Le Loeuff, and Pereda-Superbiola. Bones of this dinosaur were found in the southern European region, particularly in the country of Spain.

The genus derives its name from the local Basque word 'lirain' that means slender. This points to the fact that the dinosaur had quite slender legs in comparison to the rest of its body. Even though there were a number of Titanosaurid Sauropods attributed to the Cretaceous period, it was generally agreed upon by paleontologists that this genus was of a particularly primitive type of Titanosaurs.

The Lirainosaurus fossil elements that were first excavated were quite smaller than that of other Titanosaurs, which led paleontologists to believe it was a juvenile individual. However, by studying the rings on the bones of the dinosaur, they realized that it was indeed an elderly adult and a dwarf Sauropod. Keep on reading to find out more awesome and amazing facts about the Lirainosaurus!

How do you pronounce 'Lirainosaurus'?

Lirainosaurus can be pronounced easily if the bigger word is broken down into smaller, easy parts such as 'Lee-ray-no-sau-rus'.

What type of dinosaur was a Lirainosaurus?

The Lirainosaurus was a genus of dinosaur classified as a Titanosaurid Sauropod.

In which geological period did the Lirainosaurus roam the Earth?

The Lirainosaurus species roamed the Earth during the late Cretaceous period.

When did the Lirainosaurus become extinct?

Scientists had estimated that the Lirainosaurus existed during the Campanian age of the upper Cretaceous period until about 66 million years ago when it became extinct.

Where did the Lirainosaurus live?

Based on the site where fossils of this dinosaur have been found, it can be assumed that this dinosaur lived in the southern European part of the world, which now falls in present-day northern Spain.

What was the Lirainosaurus' habitat?

These Titanosaurs are thought to have preferred a terrestrial habitat based on where their fossil remains have been found in present-day northern Spain. The southern part of Europe is also characterized by a Mediterranean climate. This means that the climate, for the most part, is hot and dry during the summer, while the winters usually have mild temperatures with a little bit of rainfall.

Who did the Lirainosaurus live with?

Since the remains of bones of both young and adults of this dinosaur were found together, it can be assumed that Lirainosaurus dinosaurs lived in a group where adults lived along with their younger offspring.

How long did a Lirainosaurus live?

Due to a lack of adequate data, paleontologists have not been able to figure out the exact lifespan of the Lirainosaurus.

How did they reproduce?

Like other Sauropod species, Lirainosauruses also reproduced by laying eggs once the process of fertilization was complete.

What did the Lirainosaurus look like?

The Lirainosaurus had a unique body type according to its skeleton that has been recovered. These creatures had long necks and short but slender legs. They also had small bony plates on the upper dorsal region and darker colored marks that ran along their vertebrae to the end of the tail.

How many bones did a Lirainosaurus have?

Nine bone specimens of this Titanosaur have been found in northern Spain. Axial remains of this Titanosaur have been found, such as skull fragments and isolated teeth pieces. Apart from its axial remains and isolated teeth fragments, dorsal ribs of this dinosaur have also been found.

Along with dorsal ribs, the scapula, part of the sternum, parts of the pelvis, and coracoid bones have also been excavated. Two bony plates in the lower part of the body were also found. Caudal and dorsal vertebrae fragments have helped paleontologists draw a fuller picture of what the Lirainosaurus looked like.

How did they communicate?

Due to a lack of necessary information, it is not known how these Titanosaurs communicated with each other.

How big was the Lirainosaurus?

Based on bone remains of the Lirainosaurus, paleontologists have estimated that the length of these Titanosaurs did not measure more than 32.8 ft (10 m) in length.

Thus, the Lirainosaurus was even bigger than the Duriavenator, which was around 27 ft (8.2 m) in length.

How fast could a Lirainosaurus move?

Since feet of this Titanosaur were unusually slender based on bone specimens found by paleontologists, it can be assumed that this Titanosaur was quite lower in weight than other Sauropods of its type. Therefore, this Titanosaur genus must have been quite fast in speed as it was not hindered by its weight.

How much did a Lirainosaurus weigh?

Paleontologists have estimated the weight of this dinosaur to be more than 40,000 lb (18,143.7 kg).

What were male and female names of the species?

There are no unique names to refer to the male or female dinosaur of this genus; thus, they are usually referred to as male or female.

What would you call a baby Lirainosaurus?

There is no separate or exclusive name for a baby Lirainosaurus; hence, it is referred to as a hatchling or nestling following standard terminology.

How aggressive were they?

There is not much information about these Sauropods and their behavioral characteristics and traits. However, it can be assumed that they were not very aggressive in nature since they were herbivorous and did not have to hunt after their prey for food.

Did you know…

The name of the species Lirainosaurus astibiae under the genus Lirainosaurus was named after Humberto Astibia. Humberto Astibia is a Spanish paleontologist who was the leader of the team of researchers that was responsible for excavating the site where fossils were extracted.

*We've been unable to source an image of a Lirainosaurus and have used an image of a T-rex instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a Lirainosaurus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected]