Choconsaurus
- Lived
- 110 to 106 million years ago, Early Cretaceous
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Group
- Sauropods
- Found in
- Argentina
- Named by
- Simón et al. 2018
Where its fossils were found
The evidence
Today
110 million years ago
Habitat
It probably lived on plains crossed by rivers in what is now Argentina. Other dinosaurs in the Huincul Formation included Argentinosaurus, Mapusaurus and Skorpiovenator.
Field notes
About Choconsaurus
What it was like
Choconsaurus was a titanosaur, a long-necked plant eater. It is known from much of one skeleton. Separate snout and lower jaw bones have also been assigned to it.
Its world
It lived in the Cretaceous, in what is now Argentina. It comes from the Huincul Formation, where it shared the land with the giant sauropod Argentinosaurus and the big predators Mapusaurus and Skorpiovenator.
How it was found
Simón and colleagues named Choconsaurus in 2018. Its name comes from the town near where it was found.
Field gallery
More views of Choconsaurus
Scenes reconstructed from the available fossil evidence.
1 of 3
Lived alongside
Found in the same rock formations
A rock formation can hold fossils laid down millions of years apart, so not every animal here met Choconsaurus.
The evidence
The science behind Choconsaurus
Which parts of the picture come from its own bones, and which come from its relatives.
From its own fossils
- The original skeleton preserves nearly the whole sequence of back vertebrae, shoulder bones and the bones of a hand.
- Its back vertebrae have extra joints beside the main supporting joint. Long hand bones fitted together to form a weight-bearing column.
- A referred left snout bone and right lower jaw bone preserve a nearly vertical snout front and a deep chin.
Borrowed from relatives
- The missing upper face, eye region and skull roof can be compared with Tapuiasaurus.
Still unknown
- The shape of its complete skull.
- Its full length and weight, and whether it sits near the base of the titanosaur family tree.
- Its skin color and pattern.
Discovery timeline
- 2008Same rocksCanale et al.
- 2018Named itSimóN, Salgado & Calvo
- 2022Same rocksCanale et al.
- 2025Same rocksSimón & Salgado
Key papers
The research behind what we know of Choconsaurus
Same rocks
Described a nearly complete Skorpiovenator skeleton, documenting another large predator from the Huincul Formation.
New carnivorous dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of NW Patagonia and the evolution of abelisaurid theropods. Naturwissenschaften 96: 409-414
Read the paper : New carnivorous dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of NW Patagonia and the evolution of abelisaurid theropods (opens in a new tab)Named it
Described Choconsaurus and tentatively placed it on an early branch of the titanosaur family tree.
A New Titanosaur Sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, NeuquéN Province, Argentina. Ameghiniana 55: 1-29
Read the paper : A New Titanosaur Sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, NeuquéN Province, Argentina (opens in a new tab)Same rocks
Described Meraxes from the Huincul Formation and showed that tiny arms evolved independently in several groups of large predators.
New giant carnivorous dinosaur reveals convergent evolutionary trends in theropod arm reduction. Current Biology 32: 3195-3202.e5
Read the paper : New giant carnivorous dinosaur reveals convergent evolutionary trends in theropod arm reduction (opens in a new tab)Same rocks
Described Cienciargentina from the same quarry and continued to recognize Choconsaurus as a separate titanosaur.
New rebbachisaurid (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Huincul Formation (upper Cenomanian-Turonian) of Villa El Chocón (Neuquén Province, Argentina). Cretaceous Research 173: 106137
Read the paper : New rebbachisaurid (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Huincul Formation (upper Cenomanian-Turonian) of Villa El Chocón (Neuquén Province, Argentina) (opens in a new tab)
Close relatives
Other members of Titanosauria
Sources: Wikidata