Name:
Melanorosaurus (Greek for "Black Mountain lizard"); pronounced MEL-an-oh-roe-SORE-us
Habitat:
Woodlands of South Africa
Historical Period:
Late Triassic (225-205 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 50 feet long and 5 tons
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Large size; thick legs
About Melanorosaurus:
Just as its distant cousins, the sauropods, dominated the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, Melanorosaurus was the largest prosauropod (sauropod forebear) of the Triassic period, and probably the largest land creature of its time. Except for its relatively short neck and tail, Melanorosaurus showed all the adaptations typical of later sauropods, including a heavy trunk and sturdy, tree-like legs. It was probably a close relative of a contemporary South American prosauropod, Riojasaurus.
