Dinheirosaurus

Type Species: Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis

Classification: Dinosauria – Saurischia – Sauropoda – Gravisauria - Eusauropoda - Neosauropoda - Diplodocoidea – Flagellicaudata – Diplodocidae – Diplodocinae

Time Period: Late Jurassic 

Location: Europe 

Diet: Herbivore

The Late Jurassic sauropod Dinheirosaurus lived in prehistoric Portugal as part of Portugal’s Lourinha Formation, which resembled North America’s Morrison Formation and which emerged as a result of the genesis of the Atlantic Ocean. Dinheirosaurus had the general diplodocid form: a slender body, long neck carried low over the ground, and a long, whip-like tail. Its squared snout, similar in appearance to its North American relatives Diplodocus and Supersaurus, indicates that it was a non-specific low-browsing herbivore. It grew up to eighty feet in length, the same length as Diplodocus but smaller than Supersaurus, to whom it was more closely related. Dinheirosaurus is one of the few sauropods for whom gastroliths have actually been found alongside the type specimen. This sauropod lived alongside large predators such as Allosaurus and smaller ones such as Aviatyrannus (the latter of which could be squashed under Dinheriosaurus’ feet if it lacked spatial awareness). Other herbivores of the environment included the stegosaur Dacentrurus, the early ankylosaur Dracopelta, and numerous early ornithopods.