Atsinganosaurus

At-sing-ah-no-sore-us.
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Cassidy Wood

Paleoentomologist

Cassidy Wood uncovers the tiny yet significant world of prehistoric insects. Her research on amber-preserved specimens has revealed intricate details about ancient ecosystems.

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Name

Atsinganosaurus ‭(‬gypsy lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

At-sing-ah-no-sore-us.

Named By

G�raldine Garcia,‭ ‬Sauveur Amico,‭ ‬Francois Fournier,‭ ‬Eudes Thouand‭ & ‬Xavier Valentin‭ ‬-‭ ‬2010.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Sauropoda,‭ ‬Somphospondyli,‭ ‬Titanosauria.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

A.‭ ‬velauciensis‭

Size

Uncertain.

Known locations

France‭ ‬-‭ ‬Gr�s � Reptiles Formation.

Time Period

Campanian/Maastrichtian of the Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Partial post cranial remains of at least two individuals.

In Depth

       Atsinganosaurus is named from the Ancient Greek word atsinganos which means‭ ‘‬gypsy‭’‬,‭ ‬and is a reference to a proposed east to west migration for these dinosaurs.‭ ‬The known remains of Atsinganosaurus are fragmentary but in otherwise a good state of preservation.‭ ‬Unfortunately the overall lack of them means that it is hard to say anything beyond the simple facts that Atsinganosaurus would have been mid-sized and fairly gracile.

       Another titanosaur genus from France that also lived during the late Cretaceous is Ampelosaurus.‭ ‬Other titanosaurs known to have been living in Europe during the late Cretaceous include Magyarosaurus and Lirainosaurus.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new Titanosaur genus‭ (‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Sauropoda‭) ‬from the Late Cretaceous of southern France and its paleobiogeographic implications‭ ‬-‭ ‬G�raldine Garcia,‭ ‬Sauveur Amico,‭ ‬Francois Fournier,‭ ‬Eudes Thouand‭ & ‬Xavier Valentin‭ ‬-‭ ‬2010.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT