Sonorasaurus
Sonorasaurus is a type of dinosaur that lived during the Early to Late Cretaceous period, around 112 to 93 million years ago.
This dinosaur is a member of the Brachiosauridae family and is known to have eaten plants, making it a herbivore.
The name “Sonorasaurus” means “Sonora lizard,” named after the Sonora River in the Sonoran Desert where its fossils were first found. The specific species is called Sonorasaurus thompsoni, named by a scientist named Ratkevich in 1998.
Discovery
The discovery of Sonorasaurus started in November 1994. A geology student named Richard Thompson found its fossil remains in southern Arizona.
While exploring an area that had hardly been studied before, he came across a skeleton on the side of a rock wall. He contacted paleontologist Ronald Paul Ratkevich, who created a team to help recover the bones.
The excavation took place from 1995 to 1999. At first, the team thought it might belong to another type of dinosaur, but eventually, they realized it was a new species.
In 1998, Sonorasaurus was officially described as a brachiosaurid dinosaur.
In 2018, it was even named the state dinosaur of Arizona!
Description
Fossils of Sonorasaurus include several bones, but many are broken or incomplete.
Scientists believe it was around 15 meters long and 8 meters tall, which is about one-third the size of the famous Brachiosaurus.
Sonorasaurus weighed about 10 metric tons!
Classification
Ratkevich first thought of Sonorasaurus as part of the Brachiosauridae family. Over the years, scientists have done many studies to find where it fits among dinosaurs.
Some studies placed it within the Brachiosauridae family, while others did not agree.
In 2016, a study confirmed that Sonorasaurus is indeed a member of the Brachiosauridae family, but scientists want to do even more research to understand it better.
In summary, Sonorasaurus is an interesting dinosaur that gives us a glimpse into the past, highlighting the diversity of these magnificent creatures that roamed our planet millions of years ago.