Austrosaurus is a group of dinosaurs that lived a very long time ago, around 112 to 100 million years ago, during the Early Cretaceous period. It was discovered in Central-Western Queensland, Australia, and its name means “Southern lizard” in Latin.
The first fossils of Austrosaurus were found in 1932 by a man named H.B. Wade. He discovered some important bones while working on a farm called Clutha Station. Wade alerted the station manager, who sent the bones to the Queensland Museum for study. A scientist named Heber Longman formally described Austrosaurus as a new dinosaur in 1933.
Austrosaurus belonged to a large group called sauropods, known for their long necks and tails. At first, scientists thought that these dinosaurs spent a lot of time in or around water to help support their huge bodies. However, this idea has changed. Now, we believe that Austrosaurus and other sauropods lived mainly on dry land.
Based on the fossils found, Austrosaurus was quite large. It is thought to have stood about 3.9 meters tall at the hip and 4.1 meters at the shoulder, with a long body measuring around 20 meters. This makes it similar in length to about three cars put end to end. Scientists estimate that it could have weighed around 16 tons, which is about as much as two elephants!
When it was first discovered, Austrosaurus was believed to be related to a group known as cetiosaurids. However, over time, scientists have re-evaluated its classification. New discoveries and studies show that Austrosaurus is probably a member of a group called titanosauriforms, which includes many other giant dinosaurs.
In summary, Austrosaurus was a massive dinosaur that wandered the dry lands of Australia millions of years ago. It is recognized as an important part of the history of dinosaurs, and scientists continue to learn more about it from the fossils found.