FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
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Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
The Thotobolosaurus dinosaur was first discovered in the year 1930 in Lesotho's Bethesda village by a school principal named Samuel Motsoane. The dinosaur was properly discovered by brothers Paul and François Ellenberger in the year 1955 in the Maphutseng village's lower Elliot Formation in Lesotho. This Lesotho location was a trash heap called Thotobolo ea 'Ma-Beata'. The dinosaur has more recently been named Kholumolumo, which is its more common name, pronounced as 'Ko-lum-oh-lu-mo'. The Thotobolosaurus was a massopodan and a sauropodomorph, bearing close relations to the Sarahsaurus. It roamed the earth from the Norian age of the Late Triassic period. It only went extinct 201.3 million years before today. The Thotobolosaurus is thought to have been a huge creature, measuring over 29.5-32.8 ft (9-10 m) long. It is also believed to be herbivorous, eating things like plants, leaves, and twigs. The Thotobolosaurus probably had a lifespan of 70-80 years and lived in the grasslands with many lakes and rivers.
For more relatable content, check out these Quaesitosaurus facts and Puertasaurus facts for kids.
Thotobolosaurus is the former name of the Kholumolumo dinosaur. Thotobolosaurus is pronounced as 'tho-toe-bo-low-saw-rus'. 'Kholumolumo' is pronounced as 'Ko-lum-oh-lu-mo'.
The Thotobolosaurus or Kholumolumo was a sauropodomorph and massopodan dinosaur. The animal is thought to have been closely related to the Sarahsaurus.
The Thotobolosaurus roamed the Earth from the Norian age in the Late Triassic period and up to 201.3 million years before today.
The Thotobolosaurus dinosaur became extinct 201.3 million years ago.
Thotobolosaurus genus prosauropods are from the lower Elliot formation near the present-day area of Maphutseng, Lesotho. Fossils of this animal have also been found in the Free State province area of South Africa.
Dispersed bones and fossils were first found in 1930 by a school principal named Samuel Motsoane in Lesotho's Bethesda. In 1955, a missionary, Paul Ellenberger, and a brother of his, François Ellenberger, uncovered a bed of bones close to the Maphutseng village in western Lesotho, in one of the layers of the Elliot Formation.
The Thotobolosaurus probably inhabited grasslands that had an abundance of intermittent lakes as well as rivers.
It can't be said with certainty whether Thotobolosaursus dinosaurs lived alone or with others of their kind. But since fossils were found in a bone bed, they may have lived together.
Since the Tholobolosaurus was a big herbivore, it can be estimated to have lived for 70-80 years.
There has been some debate about the mating practices of dinosaurs like Thotobolosaurs, but much of the research has been speculative. But being reptiles, they reproduced by mating and laying eggs.
The holotype of the Thotobolosaurus dinosaur was discovered in an Elliot Formation site, dating from the Norian, Late Triassic period. The holotype was made up of a shinbone or a full right tibia. Fossils that arrived in Paris in 1959 have some other bones designated as paratypes. In South Africa and Lesotho, just disarticulated bones of five to ten individuals have been found, which includes the material of the skull. Thotobolosaurs were one of the biggest sauropodomorphs, which made them one of the largest creatures of the Norian period. This dinosaur was bipedal, meaning it had two limbs for walking. Its massive size and weight have been evidenced by the circumference of its thigh bone.
The holotype of the Thotobolosaurus is unique in its combination of features, but its features aren't unique themselves.
The shinbone of the Thotobolosaurus is strong and short and its circumference is about 53% of the total length. In other non-sauropod Sauropodomorpha dinosaurs, the ratio of the circumference to the length of the shinbone is less than 0.49, with Blikanasaurus and Antetonitrus being exceptions. The shaft of the shinbone tends to taper downwards when seen from the inside as well as the outside. The rear and front edge of the shinbone shaft has a straight edge, unlike that of the Antetonitrus.
The exact number of bones in the body of Thotobolosaurus dinosaurs is not known since only disarticulated and separate bones have ever been found.
The way the Thotobolosaurus communicated is completely speculative. It is believed that like other dinosaurs, the Thotobolosaurus probably communicated via visual and vocal cues. They may have uttered grunts, hoots, and bellows. Defensive posturing, mating displays, and territorial fights may have also formed the basis of their communicative abilities.
A Thotobolosaurus could have been 29.5-32.8 ft (9-10 m) long, which makes it about five times bigger than Lesothosaurus dinosaurs.
Being a large prosauropod dinosaur, the Thotobolosaurus could probably move at speeds of 4.5 mph (7.2 kph).
The Thotobolosaurus weight is thought to have been around 3,867 lb (1,754 kg).
Male and female Thotobolosaurus dinosaurs did not have specific names, but generally 'saurus' is considered the male form of a dinosaur's name, and the female form is 'saura'.
Since it hatched from an egg, it could be called both a hatchling and a nestling.
Thotobolosaurus dinosaurs were herbivorous creatures who fed on plants, bark, and twigs.
The evidence to indicate the level of their aggression is insufficient, but they may have been territorial.
Thotobolosaurus isn't one dinosaur, but a prosauropod dinosaur genus.
The Thotobolosaurs was previously called 'Thotobolosaurus mabeatae' which was changed to 'Kholumolumosaurus ellenbergerorum' but this name didn't stick either. The present name of the Thotobolosaurus mabeatae dinosaur genus is 'Kholumolumo ellenbergerorum' which honors the Ellenberger family who helped to define these prosauropods.
The Elliot Formation is a prominent structure that consists of many stratified rocks. It consists mainly of sandstone and mudstone. Numerous dinosaur fossils have been discovered in the Elliot Formation including those of the Plateosaurus, the Coelophysis, the Lesothosaurus, and the Euskelosaurus.
The Lesotho location where remains and fossils of the Thotobolosaurus were initially discovered was known as the 'Thotobolo ea 'Ma-Beata'' which translates to 'Beata's mother's trash heap'. Paleontologists from South Africa, Rosali F. Ewer and Alfred Walter Crompton, reinforced the discovery in 1955. It was Paul Ellenberger that first called the dinosaur 'Thotobolosaurus mabeatae' in 1970 which meant 'the lizard from the trash heap'. The final generic name is 'Kholumolumosaurus ellenbergerorum.'
Disparate bones and fossils of the Thotobolosaurus dinosaur were discovered by the principal of a school in Lesotho's Bethesda village area. The name of the principal was Samuel Motsoane and the year was 1930. In 1955, Paul Ellenberger, a missionary, along with his brother François Ellenberger, uncovered an entire bed of Thotobolosaurus bones close to western Lesotho's Maphutseng village, in the lower Elliot Formation.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly dinosaur facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other dinosaurs from our Analong interesting facts and Rapetosaurus fun facts for kids pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Thotobolosaurus coloring pages.
Main image by Charles Nye.
Second image by Tom Parker.
*We've been unable to source an image of a Thotobolosaurus and have used an image of a Brachiosaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a Thotobolosaurus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].
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At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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