Rayososaurus

Ya-o-so-soer-us.
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Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Rayososaurus ‭(‬Rayoso lizard‭ ‬-‭ ‬after the Rayoso Formation).

Phonetic

Ya-o-so-soer-us.

Named By

Jose Fernando Bonaparte‭ ‬-‭ ‬1996.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Sauropodomorpha,‭ ‬Sauropoda,‭ ‬Diplodocoidea,‭ ‬Rebbachisauridae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

R.‭ ‬agrionensis‭

Size

Uncertain,‭ ‬but very roughly estimated to be about‭ ‬6‭ ‬meters long.

Known locations

Argentina,‭ ‬Patagonia‭ ‬-‭ ‬Rayoso Formation.

Time Period

Cenomanian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial post cranial remains including Scapula,‭ ‬femur and partial fibula.

In Depth

       A very small sauropod,‭ ‬Rayososaurus is considered to be very similar to another genus called Rebbachisaurus.‭ ‬Because Rayososaurus is from South America and Rebbachisaurus is from Africa,‭ ‬this has given rise to the notion that these two continents were joined for much longer than previously thought back in the Cretaceous.

Further Reading

– Cretaceous tetrapods of Argentina. – M�nchner Geowissenschaften Abhandlungen 30:73-130. – J. F. Bonaparte – 1996.

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