Rocasaurus
Encyclopedia
Rocasaurus is a genus
of titanosaur
ian sauropod that lived in South America
about 80 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous
. This genus grew up to 8 meters long, making it one of the smaller sauropods. Rocasaurus was discovered in Argentina
in 2000.
The type species
, Rocasaurus muniozi, was formally described by Salgado and Azpilicueta in 2000.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of titanosaur
Titanosaur
Titanosaurs were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, which included Saltasaurus and Isisaurus. It includes some of the heaviest creatures ever to walk the earth, such as Argentinosaurus and Paralititan — which some believe have weighed up to 100 tonnes...
ian sauropod that lived in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
about 80 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
. This genus grew up to 8 meters long, making it one of the smaller sauropods. Rocasaurus was discovered in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in 2000.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
, Rocasaurus muniozi, was formally described by Salgado and Azpilicueta in 2000.