AUSTRALIANDINOSAURS

Wendy Garcia 10B

RHOETOSAURUS•“Rhoetos” a mythological Greek giant

And saurus meaning Lizard.• Was found in 1925 by a self-trainedPaleontologist named Heber Longman.• It lived 176 to181 years agoIn eastern Queensland whereasa large reptile fossil was found.

• IS AMONG THE BEST KNOWN

SAUROPODS THUS, FAR DISCOVEREDIN AUSTRALIA.

Rhoetosaurus may have weighed 20 tonnes- as much as four elephants.

They were quadrupeds (four-footed) and theyexisted in many parts of the world, probably from about 210 millionyears ago (at the start of the Jurassic Period) to 65 million yearsago (at the end of the Cretaceous Period).Every large animal has to adapt to the problems of weight andRhoetosaurus was no exception. Its legs had to support the body'sweight, and withstand the impact of stepping without the pressurebecoming too great for the joint cartilages.

its most powerful defensive weapon wasits long supple tail. Massive muscles attached to the tail vertebrae,and more supple joints at the base and tip of the tail, allowed thetail to be swept around with great agility and force.

Why is it extinct?

Many sauropod dinosaurs lived in the late Jurassic period. They dominated the landscape. There was a minor mass extinction towards the end of the Jurassic period. During this extinction, most of the enormous sauropod dinosaurs died out. No one knows what caused this extinction.

REFERENCE

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/extinction/Asteroid.html

http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/inquiry/factsheets/leaflet0002.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhoetosaurus