Fun Rayososaurus Facts For Kids

The Rayososaurus fossils that had been unearthed were not very clear in establishing their specific traits and characteristics. In fact, owing to the extreme similarities with the Rebbachisaurus in their physical attributes, it is often claimed by some paleontologists that the Rayososaurus is not anything but another Rebbachisaurus. In light of certain differences in morphology, as determined by the fossils belonging to the early cretaceous period, the controversy with regard to whether it is a distinct genus separate from the Rebbachisaurus continues to exist. The fact that the Rayosaurus was a herbivore makes it unlikely that they were very deadly in nature. They were not predatory and possibly fed on low-level vegetation. However, the exact nature of plants that were present in their diets is unknown. It lived around the same time period as the Brancasaurus and other sauropods.

How do you pronounce 'Rayososaurus'?

Rayososaurus is pronounced as 'Rayo-soh-sau-rus'.

What type of dinosaur was a Rayososaurus?

A Rayososaurus was a Sauropod dinosaur.

In which geological period did the Rayososaurus roam the earth?

The Rayososaurus existed during the late Cretaceous period. To be specific, Rayososaurus lived in the Cenomanian period, which came in the early parts of the late Cretaceous era.

When did the Rayososaurus become extinct?

The Rayososaurus became extinct almost 66 billion years ago.

Where did a Rayososaurus live?

The Rayososaurus was sound in the Candeleros Formation located in the Neuquen basin in the northern part of Patagonia, which is the southern end of South America. This is located in Argentina.

What was a Rayososaurus's habitat?

These Cretaceous tetrapods, found in South America, had a terrestrial habitat, meaning that they thrived on land and forests.

Who did a Rayososaurus live with?

The Rayososaurus' social behavior has not been clearly ascertained. However, since the Rayosaurus was a sauropod dinosaur, they may have similar patterns that involved being social with their counterparts till they reached older ages when they were supposed to have become solitary.

How long did a Rayososaurus live?

Although the life span of the Rayososaurus has not been determined, since the life cycle of sauropods ranged between around 50-100 years, it is likely that they had a similar lifespan.

How did they reproduce?

 The Rayososaurus agrioensis bonaparte were oviparous in nature. This means that they laid eggs and the method of their reproduction was through direct internal dispersal.

What did a Rayososaurus look like?

The physical appearance of Rayososaurus is not entirely clear. However, it bore huge similarities to the Rebbachisaurus.

How many bones did a Rayososaurus have?

The Rayososaurus fossils that were recovered did not amount to all the bones that the genus consisted of. However, the unearthed fossils contained a racket-shaped scapula which is a unique characteristic among Rebbachisauruses. It also included a partial fibula, a femur, and the MACN-N 41 holotype. One dorsal along with four caudal vertebrae were also identified as a part of the genus.

How did they communicate?

The Rayososaurus dinosaur might have had distinct communication mechanisms, but there is no evidence of that effect so far. It would not be unlikely that they used dinosaur hoots and noises to communicate just like other terrestrial dinosaurs.

How big was a Rayososaurus?

The Rayososaurus was ranged around 20 ft (6 m) in length, making it much smaller when compared to other sauropods such as the Tangvayosaurus.

How fast could a Rayososaurus move?

The speed at which a Rayososaurus could move has not yet been ascertained.

How much did a Rayososaurus weigh?

The weight of an average Rayososaurus continues to be unclear. This is especially difficult to ascertain considering the vast range of weights that different kinds of sauropods would have.

What were the male and female names of the species?

The Rayososaurus did not have special distinct names attached to females or males. Therefore, it may be assumed that they were called Rayososaurus or Rayososaurus agrioensis bonaparte irrespective of their gender.

What would you call a baby Rayososaurus?

A Rayososaurus offspring that hatched out of eggs, was not given a specific name different from the genus.

What did they eat?

The Rayososaurus was a herbivore, which meant that it was a plant-eating sauropod. Similar to other sauropods, they might have preferred low-level greenery to feed on, as compared to tree-level vegetation.

How aggressive were they?

The temperament of the Rayososaurus is still a mystery, however, there is no reason to believe that they behaved different from the general socially friendly nature of sauropods.

Did You Know...

The Rayososaurus is a genus of the sauropods found in the early Cretaceous periods, but the species name that is associated with them is in fact, R. agrioensis.

The name that was assigned to the Rayososaurus species, R. agrioensis. was actually given by a paleontologist named Jose Fernando Bonaparte who belonged to Argentina. He has also discovered numerous other dinosaurs of South America.

Although the Rayososaurus was found in the Candelerous Formations, they were named after the Rayoso Member, which bore reference to belonging to the Rayoso Formation of Argentina.

Rebbachisaurus might be one animal that lived in the same geological period as Rayososaurus and both are assumed to have close similarities.

*We've been unable to source an image of Rayososaurus and have used an image of Amazonsaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Rayososaurus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].

*We've been unable to source an image of Rayososaurus and have used an image of Ampelosaurus instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of Rayososaurus, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].