Puertasaurus

sauropod · titanosaur · Cretaceous · Argentina

A Long-Necked Giant. Puertasaurus was a sauropod, a dinosaur with an extremely long neck, four thick legs, and a whip-like tail. These were some of the biggest land animals that ever lived.

Four Famous Bones. Scientists found only four vertebrae (backbones) from Puertasaurus, including bones from its neck and tail. Even these few bones tell us it was an incredibly massive creature.

Patagonian Treasure. Puertasaurus lived in what is now southwestern Argentina during the Late Cretaceous Period, roughly 70 to 90 million years ago. Its fossils were preserved in rocks of the Cerro Fortaleza Formation.

Named for Discoverers. The dinosaur was named Puertasaurus in 2005 to honor Pablo Puerta and Santiago Reuil, the paleontologists who discovered and carefully prepared the fossil bones.

King of Dinosaurs. Puertasaurus belonged to Titanosauria, the group of sauropods that ruled the Cretaceous world. Titanosaurs were the largest dinosaurs and dominant plant-eaters of their time.