Magyarosaurus

What it was like

Magyarosaurus was a dwarf sauropod, tiny by the standards of its family. It grew to only about 5 meters (16 feet) long, far smaller than giant relatives such as Argentinosaurus and Patagotitan. Scientists think its small size developed because it lived on an island, where limited food and space over many generations favored smaller bodies, a pattern known as island dwarfism.

Even at its small size, Magyarosaurus kept the same basic body plan as its giant relatives, with a long neck and tail and thick, column-like legs to support its body.

Its world

Magyarosaurus lived in what is now Romania during the Late Cretaceous, between about 72 and 66 million years ago. Its bones, nine finds in all, come from formations including Sînpetru, Densuș-Ciula, and Sebeş. It shared this island world with other small dinosaurs, including the plant eater Zalmoxes and the armored Struthiosaurus, along with the unusual predator Balaur.

How it was found

Huene named Magyarosaurus in 1932, giving it the type species Magyarosaurus dacus. It belongs to Titanosauria, the group of sauropods that also includes Argentinosaurus and Dreadnoughtus, though Magyarosaurus stands out among them for its small size rather than its bulk.