Name:
Antarctosaurus (Greek for "southern lizard"); pronounced ANT-ark-toe-SORE-us
Habitat:
Woodlands of South America
Historical Period:
Late Cretaceous (80-65 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 60 feet long; weight unknown
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Square, blunt head with peg-shaped teeth
About Antarctosaurus:
Although the bones of this titanosaur have been dug up at the southernmost tip of South America, it's unclear if Antarctosaurus actually lived in nearby Antarctica (which, during the Cretaceous period, had a much warmer climate). It's also unclear if the handful of species discovered so far belong to the same genus: one specimen measures about 60 feet long, but the other, at 130 feet, rivals Argentinosaurus in size.
Such is the jigsaw puzzle that is Antarctosaurus that scattered bones found in India and Africa may (or may not) wind up being assigned to this genus.
