Antarctosaurus Pronunciation
How to say Antarctosaurus. Phonetic guide for kids and parents.
How to Pronounce Antarctosaurus
ant-ARK-toe-SORE-us
ALL CAPS = stressed syllable
What does Antarctosaurus mean?
Southern lizard, not Antarctic lizard
Name Roots
"anti-"
opposite or against, from Greek 'anti', used here to mean 'opposite to the north' or southern
"arktos"
bear, from Greek, referring to the northern constellation Ursa Major, so 'anti-arktos' means south
"sauros"
lizard, from Greek, the standard suffix for dinosaur names
Fun Facts
- âThe femur of Antarctosaurus giganteus measures approximately 2.35 meters, one of the longest thigh bones ever discovered for any land animal in the fossil record.
- âDespite its name suggesting Antarctica, Antarctosaurus never lived anywhere near the frozen continent. It roamed what is now Argentina, Brazil, and possibly India during the Late Cretaceous.
- âFriedrich von Huene described Antarctosaurus in 1929 while also working on dozens of other South American dinosaurs, making him one of the most productive dinosaur namers of the early 20th century.
- âAntarctosaurus belonged to the Titanosauria, the group of sauropods that survived right up until the end-Cretaceous mass extinction 66 million years ago, outlasting most other dinosaur groups.
- âSome scientists have questioned whether the various species assigned to Antarctosaurus actually belong to the same genus, meaning this dinosaur may eventually be split into entirely separate animals with new names.