Fun Moabosaurus Facts For Kids

A genus of the Turiasaurian Sauropod dinosaur, the Moabosaurus (scientific name: Moabosaurus utahensis) belongs to the lower or Early Cretaceous that spanned from 145 million years ago to 100.5 million years ago. The discovery of remains of the species took place in the Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah, the United States.

These Sauropods were herbivores and generally fed on plants and grasses, while the species inhabited scrublands, grasslands, and deciduous forests. A few similar species were known to tolerate a lack of water.

The Sauropod species is known for its thin and extremely low neural spines, and its posterior cervical vertebrae possess transverse ridges. It also has strongly procoelous proximal and distal caudal vertebrae. Forearm bones or ulna were well-developed. Unlike other Titanosauriform Sauropod species, these dinosaurs had thick-walled vertebrae with large pneumatic chambers and spatulate teeth. The average length and height of the dinosaur are around 33 ft (10 m) and 10 ft (3 m), respectively.

While talking about the discovery, the species was recovered from the Dalton Wells Pit which is around 12 mi (20 km) northwest of Moab, a city in Utah. 5,500 bones were extracted which stated that there were around 18 individuals. Recovered bones were either fragmented or degraded, while research revealed that the degradation was mainly caused by consumption by insects.

Let's read more fun facts about the Moabosaurus, and if you find this article interesting, don't forget to check out exciting facts about different dinosaurs like the Orodromeus and the Harpactognathus.

How do you pronounce 'Moabosaurus'?

The best way to pronounce the dinosaur name is by dividing it into a few parts like 'Moab-o-saurus.' The meaning of the term is Moab reptile.

What type of dinosaur was a Moabosaurus?

The Moabosaurus (scientific name: Moabosaurus utahensis) belongs to the class of reptiles and is a Turiasaurian Sauropod dinosaur. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the dinosaur is a basal Titanosauriform Macronarian Neosauropod, while a study in 2017 placed the dinosaur in the Turiasauria clade which actually falls outside of the Neosaurapoda.

In which geological period did the Moabosaurus roam the earth?

While talking about the geological period of the dinosaur, the Moabosaurus (Moabosaurus utahensis) belongs to the lower or Early Cretaceous period that spanned from 145 million years ago to 100.5 million years ago.

When did the Moabosaurus become Extinct?

The skeleton of the Sauropod dinosaur revealed that the species went Extinct around 125 million years ago. Scientific studies suggest that these dinosaurs are Aptian in age. There are a number of factors responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs ranging from natural disasters to the impact of asteroids, but studies reveal that many of these Maobosaurus dinosaurs generally died during a drought.

Where did a Moabosaurus live?

The skeleton of these dinosaurs was collected from Moab, a city in Utah that lies in the western United States. Scientific research also proves that there was a major decline of Sauropod diversity in North America from the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods.

What was a Moabosaurus's habitat?

It is said that the Sauropod dinosaur was a herbivore and one can conclude that the species must have lived in scrublands and grasslands, while remains were collected from the Cedar Mountain Formation of Moab, Utah. Thus it can be said that the species must have inhabited deciduous forests.

Who did a Moabosaurus live with?

Very little is known about their social behavior, but shreds of evidence gathered from communal nesting sites and bone injuries suggest that these herbivore dinosaurs used to be quite social and lived in groups. During the mating season, they must have formed pairs.

How long did a Moabosaurus live?

The average lifespan of this Sauropod species is not known as of now, but Sauropods are known to live longer. Species such as the Apatosaurus, the Brachiosaurus, the Diplodocus, the Supersaurus, and a few more had an average age of 100 years.

How did they reproduce?

Like reptiles, these dinosaurs generally reproduced by laying eggs. They had similar mating patterns to modern-day birds and crocodiles. It is also scientifically proven that males used to fight over females and performed several courtship displays to attract potential partners.

Recovered remains suggest that eggs of Sauropods were not bigger than eggs of a modern adult goose. After hatching, they weighed less than 11 lb (5 kg), and even in just three decades, some became 11,000 times heavier. The litter size of the Moabosaurus is not known as of now.

What did a Moabosaurus look like?

The Moabosaurus utahensis species has extremely low and thin neuronal spines, and the posterior cervical spinal column possesses transverse ridges. The species also has strongly procoelous close and distal caudal vertebrae, while forearm bones or ulna were well-developed. These dinosaurs had thick-walled vertebrae with large pneumatic chambers and spatulate teeth, while their front limbs were quite short as well, unlike other Titanosauriform Sauropod species.

How many bones did a Moabosaurus have?

The exact number of bones of the species is not known as of now, but remains of 18 individuals had around 5,500 bones. Many of the recovered fossils were either fragmented or degraded which was mainly caused by trampling and consumption by insects. Bones that were in contact with the ground were primarily consumed by beetle larvae.

How did they communicate?

Very little is known about 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 a Moabosaurus?

The species is one of the biggest dinosaurs found in North America during the Early Cretaceous period. The average length and height of the dinosaur are around 33 ft (10 m) and 10 ft (3 m), respectively. The species is bigger than the Magyarosaurus and the Antarctosaurus.

How fast could a Moabosaurus move?

The exact speed of the species is not known, but the dinosaur had a long neck and tail, while bones of its legs were not that strong. The species was an herbivore, thus it can be said that the speed of the species would be slower.

How much did a Moabosaurus weigh?

The weight of the Moabosaurus utahensis dinosaur is not known as of now.

What were the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names used to describe male and female dinosaurs; people generally call them Moabosaurus.

What would you call a baby Moabosaurus?

Like modern-day reptiles, babies of the Moabosaurus utahensis species are known as hatchlings. Recovered remains suggest that eggs of Sauropods were not bigger than eggs of a modern adult goose.

What did they eat?

The fossil and teeth structure revealed that the species was a herbivore that used to feed on grasses and plants.

How aggressive were they?

Very little is known about the social behavior of the species, but in general, these dinosaurs were not aggressive. They didn't turn violent without any specific reason, but some were quite territorial and would fight with intruders.

Did you know...

The reconstructed skeleton of the Moabosaurus dinosaur is on display at the Brigham Young University Museum of Paleontology.

The Jurassic period spanned from 199.6 million to 145.5 million years ago.

When was the Moabosaurus discovered?

Paleontologists discovered remains of the species Moabosaurus utahensis in Moab, a city in Utah that lies in the United States. That is how it got its name Moabosaurus. The species was not rare and used to roam throughout the North American continent 125 million years ago. In 2017, it was placed in the Turiasauria. The clade is known from the Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous period.

What was unique about the Moabosaurus?

The Moabosaurus dinosaur is best known for its long tail, and it also had elephant-like limbs, and broad, spatulate teeth.

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 Atrociraptor facts and Harpactognathus facts for kids.

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