Fun Tastavinsaurus Facts For Kids

New dinosaur species are not only discovered from countries of Asia and South America but also from countries like Spain. The Tastavinsaurus, also known as 'the lizard of the Tastavins river', is a genus of sauropod dinosaur which was found from the Xert Formation of Spain, Europe. The dinosaur belongs to the group of Titanosauriformes. The dinosaur belonged to the period of the Early Cretaceous or Lower Cretaceous which spanned from 145-100.5 million years ago.

The first specimen of the dinosaur was found from the Xert Formation, while the second specimen was found in the Forcall Formation, both are located in the Teruel Province, Spain. The dinosaur was named Tastavinsaurus sanzi in honor of a river, Rio Tastavins, and one of the renowned paleontologists of Spain, José Luis Sanz. Also, the dinosaur is the best-preserved Early Cretaceous sauropod in the European continent.

Information regarding the Tastavinsaurus skull is not known as of now, but titanosaurs generally possessed smaller heads compared to other sauropods. Also, the Tastavinsaurus was closely related to Brachiosauridae and Somphospondyli. Their necks were of average length for sauropods, while the tails were whip-shaped. The chest area was quite wider which also provided a wide-legged stance. Also, no information regarding the actual Tastavinsaurus size has been gathered as of now.

Like other sauropods, these dinosaurs were herbivores and generally fed on leaves and plants. The female titanosaurs used to dig holes with their back feet and lay eggs in clutches averaging around 24-25. The nests were buried under dirt and vegetation. They must have inhabited either plains or coastal areas.

Let's read more fun facts about the Tastavinsuarus, and if you find this article interesting, don't forget to check out exciting facts about different animals like Bothriospondylus and Amazonsaurus.

How do you pronounce 'Tastavinsaurus'?

The pronunciation of the term seems to be a bit hard and it would not be easy for kids to remember and pronounce the term properly. However, if you will apply the simple trick of dividing the term into a few syllables, you may find it easier to say. Just pronounce it like 'tasta-vin-saur-us'.

What type of dinosaur was a Tastavinsaurus?

The Tastavinsaurus slazi belonged to the class of Reptilia, the group of Titanosauriformes, the infraorder Sauropod, and the genus Tastavinsaurus. The dinosaur was named Tastavinsaurus sanzi in honor of one of the renowned paleontologists of Spain, José Luis Sanz.

In which geological period did Tastavinsaurus roam the Earth?

The dinosaur belonged to the period of the Early Cretaceous or Lower Cretaceous which spanned from 145-100.5 million years ago. Research also revealed that the dinosaur is the best-preserved Early Cretaceous sauropod in the European continent.

When did the Tastavinsaurus become extinct?

Research reveals that the dinosaur might have become Extinct about 120 million years ago. Also, there can be numerous factors responsible for the extinction of the species. These factors can be a volcanic eruption, asteroid impact, drought, and several other natural calamities. It is also proven that the Titanosauriformes species had exceptional survival skills and a few species were even found on the Antarctica continent.

Where did Tastavinsaurus live?

Two specimens of these dinosaurs were found in Spain. The first specimen was discovered from the Xert Formation, while the second one was found in the Forcall Formation, both are located in the Teruel Province. It can be said that the dinosaur must have roamed throughout the European continent during the Early Cretaceous period.

What was the Tastavinsaurus' habitat?

Like other sauropods, the dinosaur must have inhabited coastal areas and plains. Their trackways are commonly found on coastlines and crossing floodplains. The Tastavinsaurus fossil was found in an area where evidence of abundant marine invertebrates has been found.

Who did Tastavinsaurus live with?

Like other sauropods, the Tastavinsaurus dinosaur must have been quite social. Sauropods used to be very gregarious and research even suggests that they nested in groups. Both adult and young dinosaurs used to form separate groups, but adults must have taken care of young ones. Some species were also precocial which means young dinosaurs were quite mature since their birth. Adults must have formed pairs during the breeding season.

How long did a Tastavinsaurus live?

No information regarding the life span of the dinosaur is available as of now, but small species such as Tastavinsaurus tend to live shorter. However, sauropods are known for their slow metabolism which might have resulted in a higher life span.

How did they reproduce?

Like other species of Titanosauriformes, the Tastavins lizard used similar methods to reproduce. These dinosaurs like modern-day animals used to perform courtship displays to attract potential partners during the breeding season and males must have fought with other males over females.

The female titanosaurs used to dig holes with back feet and laid eggs in a clutch, the average size of the clutch ranged from 24-25 eggs. They used to bury the nests under vegetation and dirt, while the average diameter of 4.3–4.7 in (11-12 cm). Also, the babies were covered in mosaic armor of small pellet-like scales and this armor could have provided protection against large predators.

Moreover, sauropods were quite protective of their babies and they used to make herds that consisted of juveniles and adults. They must have cared for their young babies until they reached adulthood.

What did Tastavinsaurus look like?

Unlike most sauropods, the dinosaur possessed a smaller head. While the neck was medium in length, the tail had a whip-like shape. The chest area was quite wider which also provided a wide-legged stance. The forelimbs were quite stocky and even longer than the hindlimb. Some species of titanosaur had no digits. Also, their backbones were solid, too. The dinosaur was often referred to as 'the lizard of the Tastavins river'.

How many bones did a Tastavinsaurus have?

No information regarding bones has been gathered as of now, but the vertebrae of titanosaurs were generally solid and not hollowed-out. They also possessed robust limb bones.

How did they communicate?

Like other dinosaurs and modern-day animals, Tastavinsaurus dinosaurs used similar methods to communicate with each other. They used visual, tactile, and auditory cues to communicate. Also, during the breeding season, they performed several courtship displays. Dinosaurs were quite protective of their habitat and range and even fought with intruders.

How big was the Tastavinsaurus?

No information regarding the Tastavinsaurus height or length is available as of now, but sauropods such as Omeisaurus and Erketu must have been quite bigger than the Tastavinsaurus dinosaur.

How fast could a Tastavinsaurus move?

The exact speed of the creature is not known as of now, but the speed of sauropods is estimated to be around 5 mph (8 kph).

How much did a Tastavinsaurus weigh?

No information regarding the weight is available at the moment.

What were the male and female names of the species?

No specific names are generally used to refer to the male and female dinosaurs; people generally call them Tastavinsaurus sanzi.

What would you call a baby Tastavinsaurus?

The babies of these dinosaurs are known as hatchlings.

What did they eat?

Like other sauropods, the creature was an herbivore that mainly fed on plants and leaves. As the dinosaur was not that big in size, it must have eaten plants low to the ground.

How aggressive were they?

The dinosaur was quite gregarious and often lived in pairs. Dinosaurs, in general, were not aggressive and didn't get violent for no reason. However, while dealing with intruders, they must have turn territorial and aggressive.

Did you know...

Titanosauriformes were the last surviving group of long-necked sauropods.

Why are they called Tastavinsaurus?

The dinosaur was named in honor of a river, Rio Tastavins, and a renowned Spanish paleontologist José Luis Sanz.

Where was Tastavinsaurus discovered?

The first specimen was found from the Xert Formation, while the second was found from the Forcall Formation, and both sites are located in the Teruel Province of Spain.

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 Chubutisaurus facts, or Bothriospondylus facts for kids.

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

Second image by Nobu Tamura.

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