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Amargasaurus (/ ə ˌ m ɑːr ɡ ə ˈ s ɔː r ə s /; "La Amarga lizard") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous epoch (129.4–122.46 mya) of what is now Argentina.The only known skeleton was discovered in 1984 and is virtually complete, including a fragmentary skull, making Amargasaurus one of the best-known sauropods of its epoch.
Tschopp includes Dyslocosaurus and Dystrophaeus as dicraeosaurids, two genera traditionally not considered to be part of Dicraeosauridae. The specimens of Dystrophaeus viamelae are highly fragmentary, with only a few bones available for study including an ulna, partial scapula, partial dorsal vertebrae, a distal radius, and some metacarpals.
Amargasaurus probably fed at mid-height, as shown by the orientation of its inner ear and the articulation of its neck vertebrae, which suggest a habitual position of the snout some 80 centimeters (31 inches) above the ground and a maximum height of 2.7 meters (8.9 feet). Within the Sauropoda, Amargasaurus was a member of the family ...
Amargatitanis and Amargasaurus probably fed above ground level at heights of up to 2.7 meters (8.9 ft), as evidenced by the anatomy of their neck and inner ear. Rebbachisaurids like Zapalasaurus presumably fed at ground-level, while basal Titanosauriforms exploited food sources at higher levels.
Interpretation of the soft part anatomy of a neck vertebra of the related Amargasaurus, showing the bifurcated neural spines, supravertebral diverticulum, and horny sheaths in cross section. A similar anatomy has been suggested for Bajadasaurus.
Variation in neural spine sails across Dinosauria, clockwise from bottom left: Acrocanthosaurus, Amargasaurus, Spinosaurus, Limaysaurus, Ichthyovenator, and Ouranosaurus sail Sails (also: neural spine sails) are structures resulting from elongation of the vertebral neural spine s, typically in the dorsal, sacral, and caudal vertebrae. They vary ...
Additionally, each vertebra was extremely long and had a number of empty spaces in them which would have been filled only with air. An air-sac system connected to the spaces not only lightened the long necks, but effectively increased the airflow through the trachea, helping the creatures to breathe in enough air.
The anterior dorsal vertebrae show an autapomorphic ridge on the anterior centrodiapophyseal lamina. [1] Even the posterior dorsal vertebrae had forked neural spines, as in its close relative Amargasaurus, and unlike other dicraeosaurids in which forking of the neural spines only extended into the middle dorsal vertebrae. [4]