Dinheirosaurus

Dinheirosaurus was a long-necked diplodocid sauropod that inhabited coastal regions of Late Jurassic Portugal. Discovered in cliffs near Porto Dinheiro, the holotype includes a articulated series of vertebrae and ribs along with more than a hundred polished stomach stones, or gastroliths, used to assist digestion. For some time it was debated whether Dinheirosaurus was distinct from the contemporaneous genus Supersaurus, but detailed studies of its vertebral anatomy reaffirmed its separate generic status. Like its North American diplodocid cousins, Dinheirosaurus possessed a whip-like tail, a low-slung horizontal posture, and peg-shaped teeth suited for raking leaves from low to medium-height vegetation. It reached roughly twenty to twenty-five metres in body length.

It was found with over a hundred gastroliths preserved in association with its dorsal vertebrae.

Where and when

Dinheirosaurus lived in the Late Jurassic, from 152 to 149 million years ago (Kimmeridgian age). Its remains come from Portugal, in the Lourinhã Formation.

The numbers

Length 23 m (estimates run from 20 to 25 m). Mass about 15 t. Hip height about 3.8 m. That is 13.2 human-lengths, or 2.01 of a double-decker bus. These are estimates from partial skeleton; fields marked estimated by the site are length, mass, hip height.

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