1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Dinosaurs

Isisaurus

By Bob Strauss, About.com

Isisaurus (Wikimedia Commons)

Name:

Isisaurus (acronym for "Indian Statistical Institute lizard"); pronounced ISS-ee-SORE-us

Habitat:

Woodlands of central Asia

Historical Period:

Late Cretaceous (70-65 million years ago)

Size and Weight:

About 55 feet long and 15 tons

Diet:

Plants

Distinguishing Characteristics:

Short, horizontally oriented neck; strong forelimbs

About Isisaurus:

When its bones were dug up in 1997, this titanosaur was identified as a species of Titanosaurus; only after further analysis was it assigned its own genus, named after the Indian Statistical Institute (which houses many dinosaur bones). Reconstructions are necessarily fanciful, but by some accounts Isisaurus may have looked like a giant hyena, with long, powerful front limbs and a relatively short neck held parallel to the ground. Analysis of this dinosaur's coprolites has revealed fungal remains from several varieties of plants, giving us good insight into Isisaurus' diet.

Explore Dinosaurs

About.com Special Features

A Smarter Future

Tips that will help finance your education, excel in the classroom, and advance your career. More >

How to Ace the GRE

Being well prepared is the first step; here are more essential suggestions. More >

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Dinosaurs
  4. Types of Dinosaurs
  5. Herbivorous Dinosaurs
  6. Isisaurus - Dinosaur Isisaurus Characteristics, Behavior and Habitat>

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.