Argyrosaurus
Encyclopedia
Argyrosaurus is a genus
of herbivorous
titanosaur
id dinosaur
that lived about 90 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous
Period of what is now South America
(Argentina and Uruguay
). It was one of the largest dinosaurs, having a length of up to 20–30 metres and a weight estimated as high as eighty tonnes. It was an herbivore
.
The type species
, Argyrosaurus superbus, was formally described by Richard Lydekker in 1893. The genus name means 'silver lizard' from Greek
argyros, 'silver', and sauros, 'lizard', because it was discovered in Argentina
, which literally means 'silver land'. The specific epithet means "proud" in Latin
.
The genus was originally based mainly on a huge left forelimb, holotype
MLP 77-V-29-1. Other material has since been referred to the species, including other forelimb elements, a shoulder blade, a pubis, several femora, and a few back and tail vertebrae.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of herbivorous
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
titanosaur
Titanosaur
Titanosaurs were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, which included Saltasaurus and Isisaurus. It includes some of the heaviest creatures ever to walk the earth, such as Argentinosaurus and Paralititan — which some believe have weighed up to 100 tonnes...
id dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
that lived about 90 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
Period of what is now South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
(Argentina and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
). It was one of the largest dinosaurs, having a length of up to 20–30 metres and a weight estimated as high as eighty tonnes. It was an herbivore
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
, Argyrosaurus superbus, was formally described by Richard Lydekker in 1893. The genus name means 'silver lizard' from Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
argyros, 'silver', and sauros, 'lizard', because it was discovered in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, which literally means 'silver land'. The specific epithet means "proud" in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
.
The genus was originally based mainly on a huge left forelimb, holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
MLP 77-V-29-1. Other material has since been referred to the species, including other forelimb elements, a shoulder blade, a pubis, several femora, and a few back and tail vertebrae.
