Gasparinisaura is a genus of herbivorous ornithopod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 86-71 million years ago. The first fossils of Gasparinisaura were discovered in 1992 near Cinco Saltos in Río Negro Province, Argentina. The type species, Gasparinisaura cincosaltensis, was named and described in 1996 by Rodolfo Coria and Leonardo Salgado.
Gasparinisaura was a small dinosaur that belonged to the family of small ornithopods. It was a herbivore that lived in a terrestrial habitat. Its fossils have been found in places such as Argentina. The dinosaur is known for its unique features, classification, and distribution in the Dinosaur Directory. Scientists have discovered new materials of Gasparinisaura cincosaltensis that provide new insights into its characteristics.
Discovery and Naming
Gasparinisaura was first discovered in 1992 by a team of paleontologists led by Rodolfo Coria and Leonardo Salgado. The fossils were found near Cinco Saltos in Río Negro Province, Argentina, in a layer of the Anacleto Formation dating from the early Campanian, about 83 million years old. The holotype, MUCPv-208, consisted of a partial skeleton with skull, lacking much of the vertebral column. The paratype is MUCPv-212, a tail with lower hindlimb elements.
First Discovery
The discovery of Gasparinisaura was significant because it represented the first evidence of a small ornithopod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of South America. Prior to this discovery, most of the known ornithopods from this time period were large, such as the hadrosaurs.
Etymology
The genus name, Gasparinisaura, is derived from the name of the Argentine paleontologist Dr. Zulma B. Gasparini, who studied Mesozoic reptiles from Patagonia. The species name, cincosaltensis, refers to the location where the fossils were found, near Cinco Saltos in Río Negro Province, Argentina.
Overall, the discovery and naming of Gasparinisaura has provided valuable insight into the diversity of ornithopod dinosaurs during the Late Cretaceous period in South America.
Description
Gasparinisaura is a genus of small herbivorous ornithopod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period, around 83 to 70 million years ago. The first fossils of Gasparinisaura were discovered in 1992 near Cinco Saltos in Río Negro Province, Argentina. The type species, Gasparinisaura cincosaltensis, was named and described in 1996 by Rodolfo Coria and Leonardo Salgado.
Physical Characteristics
Gasparinisaura had a slender body, long legs, and a long tail. It had a small, narrow head with a beak-like mouth that was used for cropping vegetation. Its teeth were small and closely spaced. The forelimbs of Gasparinisaura were shorter than the hind limbs, and each forelimb had three fingers. The hind limbs were long and slender, and each hind foot had three toes.
Size and Build
Gasparinisaura was a small dinosaur, measuring only about 0.8 meters in length. It weighed around 10 to 20 kilograms. Gasparinisaura had a lightweight build, which allowed it to move quickly and efficiently through its environment. Its long legs were adapted for running, and its slender body made it agile and maneuverable. Gasparinisaura was a herbivore, and it likely fed on low-growing vegetation such as ferns, horsetails, and cycads.
Classification
Gasparinisaura is a genus of small, bipedal herbivorous ornithopod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. The genus was named in honor of the Argentine paleontologist Dr. Zulma B. Gasparini, who studied Mesozoic reptiles from Patagonia.
Taxonomic History
The first fossils of Gasparinisaura were discovered in 1992 near Cinco Saltos in Río Negro Province, Argentina. The type species, Gasparinisaura cincosaltensis, was named and described in 1996 by Rodolfo Coria and Leonardo Salgado.
Gasparinisaura belongs to the family of euornithopod dinosaurs, which are characterized by their bird-like hips and teeth that are adapted for grinding vegetation. Within the euornithopods, Gasparinisaura is classified as a member of the subfamily Thescelosaurinae, which includes other small-bodied ornithopods such as Thescelosaurus and Parksosaurus.
Evolutionary Significance
Gasparinisaura is an important genus for understanding the evolution of small-bodied ornithopods during the Late Cretaceous period. The discovery of Gasparinisaura and other similar genera in South America has challenged the traditional view that small-bodied ornithopods were restricted to North America and Asia during this time period.
Furthermore, the discovery of Gasparinisaura has shed light on the diversity of ornithopod dinosaurs in South America during the Late Cretaceous, which was previously thought to be dominated by large-bodied titanosaurs. The small size and agile build of Gasparinisaura suggest that it may have been adapted for a specialized ecological niche, such as living in forested environments or evading predators.
Paleobiology
Gasparinisaura was a small herbivorous dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period. Its diet consisted mainly of vegetation such as ferns, horsetails, and conifers. This is evidenced by the shape of its teeth, which were small and pointed, ideal for slicing through tough plant material.
In terms of locomotion, Gasparinisaura was a bipedal dinosaur, meaning that it walked on two legs. Its hind legs were longer than its front legs, which allowed it to move quickly and efficiently. Its tail was also long and flexible, which helped it maintain balance while running.
Gasparinisaura lived in a variety of habitats, including forests, plains, and wetlands. It likely preferred areas with plenty of vegetation, as this would have provided a steady source of food. It may have also lived in herds, as some fossils have been found in close proximity to one another.
Overall, Gasparinisaura was a small but efficient herbivorous dinosaur that was well adapted to its environment. Its diet, locomotion, and habitat all played important roles in its survival, and it likely lived alongside a variety of other dinosaur species during the Late Cretaceous period.
Diet
Gasparinisaura was a herbivore, and its diet consisted mainly of vegetation such as ferns, horsetails, and conifers. Its teeth were small and pointed, ideal for slicing through tough plant material. It likely had to eat constantly to maintain its energy levels, as vegetation is not as nutrient-dense as meat.
Locomotion
Gasparinisaura was a bipedal dinosaur, meaning that it walked on two legs. Its hind legs were longer than its front legs, which allowed it to move quickly and efficiently. Its tail was also long and flexible, which helped it maintain balance while running. It likely had to move quickly to avoid predators, as it was small and relatively defenseless.
Habitat
Gasparinisaura lived in a variety of habitats, including forests, plains, and wetlands. It likely preferred areas with plenty of vegetation, as this would have provided a steady source of food. It may have also lived in herds, as some fossils have been found in close proximity to one another. Its habitat was likely influenced by a variety of factors, including climate, geography, and the presence of other dinosaur species.
Paleoecology
Ecosystem
Gasparinisaura lived during the Late Cretaceous period, approximately 83-70 million years ago. The environment in which it lived was characterized by a warm and humid climate, with a mix of forests and open plains. The flora of the region consisted of conifers, ferns, and flowering plants. Gasparinisaura was a herbivore and likely fed on the vegetation that grew in the region.
Contemporaneous Species
Gasparinisaura shared its ecosystem with a variety of other dinosaur species. Some of these contemporaneous species include the carnivorous dinosaur Giganotosaurus, the herbivorous sauropod Argentinosaurus, and the ankylosaurian dinosaur Ankylosaurus. The presence of these species suggests that the Late Cretaceous ecosystem in which Gasparinisaura lived was diverse and complex.
Overall, the paleoecology of Gasparinisaura provides insight into the Late Cretaceous ecosystem of South America. The presence of this herbivorous dinosaur, along with other contemporaneous species, suggests that the region was teeming with life and had a complex food web.
Research and Studies
Notable Findings
Gasparinisaura is a herbivorous ornithopod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous period. The first fossils of this genus were found in 1992 in Río Negro Province, Argentina. Since then, several studies have been conducted to better understand the biology and ecology of this dinosaur.
One notable finding is that Gasparinisaura had a growth pattern similar to other basal ornithopods. Inter-elemental and intraspecific variations in histology were also observed, which could be the result of sexual dimorphism or localized conditions of growth. Additionally, new materials found in northwestern Patagonia provided seven new autapomorphies of the species, including the absence of anterior intercondylar.
Another interesting discovery is that Gasparinisaura had a unique bone microstructure that may have implications for its biology. A study conducted on the bone microstructure of the Antarctic ornithopods Trinisaura and Morrosaurus revealed that they were sexually mature subadults at the time of death, indicating that they died before reaching somatic maturity. The growth pattern of these Antarctic ornithopods is similar to that reported for Gasparinisaura, which suggests that this dinosaur may have also died before reaching somatic maturity.
Future Research Directions
Despite these notable findings, there is still much to learn about Gasparinisaura. Future research could focus on the ecological and behavioral aspects of this dinosaur, such as its feeding habits, social behavior, and locomotion. Additionally, further studies on the bone microstructure of Gasparinisaura could provide more insight into its biology and growth patterns.
Other areas of research could include the phylogenetic relationships of Gasparinisaura and its position within the Iguanodontia clade. This could help shed light on the evolution of ornithopod dinosaurs and their diversification during the Late Cretaceous period. Overall, Gasparinisaura remains an intriguing and important dinosaur for paleontologists to study and understand.