Alamosaurus

***Alamosaurus*** (meaning "Ojo Alamo lizard") is a genus of opisthocoelicaudiine titanosaurian sauropod, containing a single known species, ***Alamosaurus sanjuanensis***, from the late Cretaceous Period of what is now southern North America. Isolated vertebrae and limb bones indicate that it reached sizes comparable to *Argentinosaurus* and *Puertasaurus*, which would make it the largest dinosaur known from North America. Its fossils have been recovered from a variety of rock formations spanning the Maastrichtian age of the late Cretaceous period. Specimens of a juvenile *Alamosaurus sanjuanensis* have been recovered from only a few meters below the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in Texas, making it among the last surviving non-avian dinosaur species.

## Description

*Alamosaurus* was a gigantic quadrupedal herbivore with a long neck and tail and relatively long limbs. Its body was at least partly covered in bony armor. In 2012 Thomas Holtz gave a total length of 30 meters (98 ft) or more and an approximate weight of 72.5–80 tonnes (80–88 short tons) or more. Though most of the complete remains come from juvenile or small adult specimens, three fragmentary specimens, SMP VP−1625, SMP VP−1850 and SMP VP−2104, suggest that adult *Alamosaurus* could have grown to enormous sizes comparable to the largest known dinosaurs like *Argentinosaurus*, which has been estimated to weigh 73 metric tons (80 short tons). Scott Hartman estimates *Alamosaurus,* based on a huge incomplete tibia that probably refers to it, being slightly shorter at 28–30 m (92–98 ft) and equal in weight to other massive titanosaurs such as *Argentinosaurus* and *Puertasaurus*. It is currently the only titanosaur from North America. However, he says that at the moment, scientists do not know whether the massive tibia belongs to an *Alamosaurus* or a completely new species of sauropod. In 2019 Gregory S. Paul estimated the (SMP VP−1625) specimen at 27 tonnes (30 short tons), and he also mentioned a large partial anterior caudal vertebra which suggests an Alamosaurus specimen that is 15 percent dimensionally larger with similar mass to his *Dreadnoughtus* estimation of 31 tonnes (34 short tons). In 2020 Molina-Perez and Larramendi estimated the size of the largest individual at 26 meters (85.3 ft) and 38 tonnes (42 short tons).

Though no skull has ever been found, rod-shaped teeth have been found with *Alamosaurus* skeletons and probably belonged to this dinosaur. The vertebrae from the middle part of its tail had elongated centra. *Alamosaurus* had vertebral lateral fossae that resembled shallow depressions. Fossae that similarly resemble shallow depressions are known from *Saltasaurus*, *Malawisaurus*, *Aeolosaurus*, and *Gondwanatitan*. *Venenosaurus* also had depression-like fossae, but its "depressions" penetrated deeper into the vertebrae, were divided into two chambers, and extend farther into the vertebral columns. *Alamosaurus* had more robust radii than *Venenosaurus*.

## *Alamosaurus* in The Amazing Dinosaur Adventure

### Characters

Violet the *Alamosaurus*Violet's Mother the *Alamosaurus*Brittney the *Alamosaurus*
### Anonymous

*Alamosaurus* from the opening narration to *The Time of the Great Giving**Alamosaurus* from *Journey Through the Mists**Alamosaurus* from *The Mysterious Island**Alamosaurus* from *The Secret of Saurus Rock**Alamosaurus* from *The Stone of Cold Fire**Alamosaurus* from *The Big Freeze**Alamosaurus* from *Journey to Big Water**Alamosaurus* from *The Great Sauropod Migration**Alamosaurus* from *Invasion of the Tinysauruses**Alamosaurus* from *The Great Day of the Pterosaurs**Alamosaurus* from *Journey of the Brave**Alamosaurus* from the TV series