Name:
Diamantinasaurus (Greek for "Diamantina River lizard"); pronounced dee-ah-man-TEEN-ah-SORE-us
Habitat:
Woodlands of Australia
Historical Period:
Middle Cretaceous (100 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 50 feet long and 10 tons
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Large size; probable armor along back
About Diamantinasaurus:
Titanosaurs, the armored descendants of the sauropods, could be found all over the world during the Cretaceous period. The latest example from Australia is Diamantinasaurus, which is represented by a fairly complete, albeit headless, fossil specimen. Aside from its basic body shape, no one knows exactly what Diamantinasaurus looked like, although (like other titanosaurs) its back was probably lined with scaly armor plating. If its scientific name (which means "Diamantina River lizard") is too much of a mouthful, you may want to call this dinosaur by its Australian nickname, Matilda.
