Riojasaurus Riojasaurus

"lizard from La Rioja"

You 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall
Riojasaurus 6.6 m (21.7 ft) long
4 people holding hands
Length
6.6 m (21.7 ft)
Period
Late Triassic (225–219 Mya)
Place
South America · Argentina · Colorado, USA
Food
Herbivore
Clade
Riojasauridae

Riojasaurus (meaning “lizard from La Rioja”) was a herbivorous sauropodomorph dinosaur named after La Rioja Province in Argentina where it was found in the Los Colorados Formation in the Ischigualasto-Villa Unión Basin by José Bonaparte. It lived during the Late Triassic (Norian stage) and grew to about 6.6 m long. Riojasaurus is the only known riojasaurid to live in South America.

What we know

  • Named by Bonaparte 1969.
  • Body length estimated at about 6.6 m.
  • Fossils found in South America and Argentina.