Fun Lourinhasaurus Facts For Kids

Lourinhasaurus (Lourinhasaurus alenquerensis) was a dinosaur of the Late Jurassic Period that became extinct about 145 million years ago. Their fossil evidence was collected from Estremadura in Portugal. An incomplete skeleton was excavated.

These dinos were quite bulky and had a long neck and a long tail. They had pillar-like limbs and were quadrupeds. Previously they were thought to be similar to the Apatosaurus species. Later on, they were grouped under the Sauropoda and Saurischia clades. These dinos were herbivorous in nature and had strong jaws with powerful teeth to completely crush and grind the leaves.

Please keep reading to know more interesting facts about these dinosaur species and their natural history.

How do you pronounce 'Lourinhasaurus'?

Lourinhasaurus genus is pronounced as 'Lore-in-ha-sore-us'.

What type of dinosaur was a Lourinhasaurus?

Lourinhasaurus alenquerensis of Portugal was a sauropod, which was also grouped under the Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Sauropodomorpha,‭ ‬Eusauropoda, Macronaria, and Camarasauridae clades.

In which geological period did the Lourinhasaurus roam the Earth?

This dinosaur species existed during the Late Jurassic Period.

When did the Lourinhasaurus become extinct?

It became extinct about 145 million years ago.

Where did Lourinhasaurus live?

Lourinhasaurus fossils were excavated from Estremadura in Portugal.

What was the Lourinhasauruss' habitat?

These dinosaurs inhabited the forests, grasslands, and regions with dense vegetation, where they foraged on various kinds of plants.

Who did the Lourinhasaurus live with?

We do not know if this particular species of Portugal lived alone or roamed in small groups. However, sauropods moved in small groups and foraged together.

How long did a Lourinhasaurus live?

Although no data is available regarding the life expectancy of these dinosaurs, sauropods lived for about 70-80 years, while some of the bigger sauropods lived for about 300 years.

How did they reproduce?

They reproduced by laying eggs. Their eggs were amniotic in nature. Sauropod hatchlings were no bigger than an adult goose. However, their growth was at an exceptionally fast rate. The hatchlings did not need any parental care after their birth and thrived on their own. Many of these animal species of Portugal engaged in neck-slapping duels with their rival suitors at the time of mating.

What did the Lourinhasaurus look like?

These dinos had huge bodies with long necks. They were quadrupeds with broad hind feet. Their front feet were similar to those of the elephants. The evidence from the fossils tells us about their small skull size and long tails. Previously they were thought to be similar to the Apatosaurus species.

How many bones did a Lourinhasaurus have?

Due to a lack of fossil specimen evidence, we do not have information on the total number of bones these dinosaurs had. Only a partial skeleton was recovered from Western Europe. The phylogenetic reassessment reveals to us that their morphology was similar to most other sauropod dinosaurs.

How did they communicate?

Just like other Sauropod dinosaurs, the Lourinhasaurus used its visual as well as vocal skills to communicate with each other. Study material on these species also tells us that they produced low grunts and other similar sounds.

How big was the Lourinhasaurus?

The Lourinhasaurus was a bulky dinosaur with an average length of 56 ft (17 m) and a height of 20 ft (6 m). They were way bigger than the Magyrosaurus, which was a dwarf sauropod of the Cretaceous Period. Magyrosaurus was thought to have suffered from insular dwarfism.

How fast could a Lourinhasaurus move?

Owing to their bulky body and thick legs, they were not fast runners. However, evidence on the remains of the Lourinhasaurus genera highlights that they were able to trot with an average speed of 4.4 mph (7.08 kph).

How much did a Lourinhasaurus weigh?

The fossil evidence of this species was not enough to reveal their weight. However, most of the dinosaurs belonging to the Sauropod clade had an average weight of 132277-176370 lb (59999.83-80000 kg).

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names given to the male and female dinosaur species of the Lourinhasaurus genera.

What would you call a baby Lourinhasaurus?

A baby Lourinhasaurus may be called a hatchling or a nestling due to the fact that they laid eggs, just like other sauropods.

How aggressive were they?

As these dinos of Portugal were plant-eaters, it is safe to assume that they were not aggressive in nature. However, their huge body, along with a large neck, was quite intimidating for other animals of that age.

Did You Know…

From several pieces of evidence on the phylogenetic research, the sauropods had large appetites. To keep up with their constant foraging on plants, they had their tooth replaced every 14 days. Thus, we can consider these dinos extremely greedy.

The partial skeleton of this dinosaur of the Lourinhasaurus genus was excavated from a nearby village of Alenquer in the year 1949. From there, the name 'alenquerensis' was derived. In 1957, the name Apatosaurus alenquerensis was given by Albert-Félix de Lapparent and Georges Zbyszewski . Again John Stanton McIntosh gave the name of this species, Camarasaurus alenquerensis, in the year 1990. Much later in 1998, the name of the genus, Lourinhasaurus, was given by Pedro Dantas.

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

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