Aragosaurus: Research Database
Sauropoda · Cretaceous · Spain
Research Note: Aragosaurus was a sauropod from the Cretaceous of Spain — significant for understanding sauropod diversity and biogeography in Europe during the Cretaceous.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Canudo & Gasca 2011: Aragosaurus and sauropod diversity in the Cretaceous Palaeontology | Confirmed | A | 2011 | Fossil | Canudo & Gasca, Palaeontology | Diversity |
Mannion & Barrett 2013: New data on Aragosaurus and Cretaceous sauropods Cretaceous Research | Confirmed | B | 2013 | Fossil | Mannion & Barrett, Cretaceous Research | Taxonomy |
What We Still Do Not Know About Aragosaurus
- Complete skeletal morphology.
- Phylogenetic relationships.
- Ecological role.
In Depth
An early Cretaceous sauropod from Spain, Aragosaurus is considered to have been similar to the North American Camarasaurus in form. This means that the head would have been carried up high to enable Aragosaurus to browse upon the upper branches of trees, which were simply beyond the reach of low browsing dinosaurs. This similarity, compared with other discoveries of genera like Stegosaurus in places like Portugal has also led to the idea that North America and Western Europe were still joined by at least the Late Jurassic, and that a faunal interchange took place between these two continents.
Further Reading
- Dinosaurios del Cret�cico inferior de Galve (Teruel, Espa�a) [Dinosaurs from the Lower Cretaceous of Galve (Teruel, Spain)], J. L. Sanz, A. D. Buscalioni, M.-L. Casanovas and J.-V. Santafe - 1987.
