Amygdalodon patagonicus
By José Carlos Cortés
Etymology: Almond Tooth
First Described By: Cabrera, 1947
Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Bagualosauria, Plateosauria, Massopoda, Sauropodiformes, Anchisauria, Sauropoda
Status: Extinct
Time and Place: Between 180 and 175 million years ago, in the Toarcian of the Early Jurassic
Amygdalodon is known from the Cerro Carnerero Formation of Chubut, Argentina
Physical Description: Amygdalodon is a fairly poorly known early Sauropod, known really only from bone fragments and teeth. As an early sauropod, though, it would have been somewhat bulky, and probably somewhere around 12 meters long. It would have walked around on all fours, and very similar to other early branching sauropods. It would have had a semi long neck and long tail, but no extreme specializations either way. It would have probably been entirely scaly due to its large body size.
Diet: Amygdalodon would have been primarily herbivorous.
Behavior: It is uncertain what the behavior of Amygdalodon would have been, given we don’t have a lot of fossil evidence of this dinosaur. That being said, it probably spent most of its day feeding, and most likely lived in large groups of other Amygdalodon for protection. It probably also took care of its young, and had an active metabolism - but, again, this is just conjecture.
By Ripley Cook
Ecosystem: Amygdalodon is known from a coastal environment, a pebbly beach associated with sand as the pebbles were eroded from the waves of the sea; Amygdalodon itself mainly keeping to the rivers as they emptied out into the ocean. Unfortunately, no other dinosaurs were found alongside Amygdalodon; only one poorly preserved shrimp. So it is uncertain what sorts of plants Amygdalodon lived alongside, what other animals it interacted with, and what may have preyed upon it.
Other: Amygdalodon is the most basal known sauropod from the continent of South America!
~ By Meig Dickson
Sources under the Cut
