| Patagosaurus Temporal range: Mid Jurassic |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Superorder: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | Sauropodomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Sauropoda |
| Family: | ?Cetiosauridae |
| Genus: | Patagosaurus |
| Species: | P. fariasi |
| Binomial name | |
| Patagosaurus fariasi Bonaparte, 1979 |
|
Patagosaurus (meaning "Patagonian lizard") was a large herbivorous dinosaur from the long-necked group Sauropoda. It reached a length of 18 meters. Similar to other primitive eusauropods, it was rather heavily built and similar to Cetiosaurus in general appearance. It is known from a dozen individuals, though some referred material may belong to another related dinosaur genus. It lived during the Callovian of the Middle Jurassic (163-161 mya) in what is now Argentina. Other Argentinian dinosaurs living approximately at the same time were Piatnitzkysaurus, Condorraptor and Amygdalodon.
It was described by Jose Bonaparte in 1979. The type species is P. fariasi.[1] Some authors (such as Bonaparte and Upchurch) have placed Patagosaurus in the family Cetiosauridae, but not all paleontologists agree; sauropod classifications are still uncertain.