Agustinia is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Early Cretaceous period, around 116 to 108 million years ago. This dinosaur was discovered in South America, specifically in the Neuquén Province of Argentina.
The only known species of Agustinia is called Agustinia ligabuei. Its remains were found in the Lohan Cura Formation, which is a famous fossil site.
The discovery happened in 1997 when a group from the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales found the skeleton. The name “Agustinia” honors a student named Agustin Martinelli, who helped find the fossils. The species name “ligabuei” is in honor of Dr. Giancarlo Ligabue, who supported the expedition financially.
Agustinia is known from limited fossil remains, including pieces of its vertebrae from the back, hips, and tail. Some bones from its legs were also recovered, such as parts of the lower hind limb. It was thought that Agustinia might have had armor-like plates on its back, similar to Stegosaurus, but further research showed these might just be broken pieces of bone instead.
From the bones found, it is estimated that Agustinia could grow about 15 meters long, which is roughly the length of a school bus.
Over the years, scientists have debated Agustinia’s classification. Initially, it was thought to belong to a unique family because of its supposed armor. However, because of the fragmentary nature of its remains, it was difficult to classify. Recent studies suggest Agustinia is a part of the Rebbachisauridae family, a group of sauropods known for their long necks.
Agustinia lived in an environment with other dinosaurs such as Comahuesaurus, as well as turtles. The remains found in its habitat help scientists learn more about life during the Early Cretaceous period.