Sauropods are very unique Dinosaurs. No other land animal has been as large or vaguely resembled them. I always see them as Friendly Nurturing Giants. Sweeping across the land consuming tons of vegetation like gigantic vacuum cleaners is another image that comes to mind. Amargasaurus is very unusual for a Sauropod. First it was much smaller than most of the long necked Titans. Amargasaurus at 30 feet vs 80 to 100 or more for Brontosaurus, Apatosaurus & Diplodocus. But perhaps the most noticeable feature is its double row of long spines along the back of the neck merging to one row of smaller spines at the middle of the back. They may have been connected by a sail or frill. What an incredible sight that was to behold!
Discovered in Argentina by Luis Cazau near the town of La Amarga. This fantastic Sauropod lived during the Early Cretaceous Period. Many sauropods had short spikes along their backs but only Amargasaurus supported a sail. Steve Brusatte’s book “Dinosaurs” provides a great size comparison to a human. Closest relatives to Amargasaurus are Dicraeosaurus & Brachytracelopan. Dicraeosaurus lived in African area known today as Tanzania. Dikraios Greek for Doubled-Headed named for “Y” shaped spines on the back of the neck. First described by paleontologist Werner Janensch in 1914. Brachytracelopan hails from West-Central Argentina in South America. Discovered by Shepherd Daniel Mesa. The genus name translates to “short necked Pan. Pan being the God of Shepherds. Brachytracelopan has the shortest neck of any known Sauropod – 40% shorter than any other Dicraeosaurid. Both of these relatives of Amargasaurus lived during the Late Jurassic.
I think an Amargasaurus would be a prefect addition to the Park. At 30 feet long there is plenty of room for a life size adult too! I’m sure her name will be Marguerite like my grandmother. Lucio the Amargasaurus 1:35 Scientific Art Model from PNSO will serve as my guide for drawings of Marguerite. The watercolor of Marguerite will become part of the 3D Hidden Garden. Stay tune for updates on that project. Models especially accurate and to scale are a great sketching tools. The advantage over sketching existing art is the ability to move them around for different angle considerations. I found a great selection of choices on Amazon.
A Wonderful Movie “The Good Dinosaur” by Disney-Pixar features the Adventures of a Sauropod named Arlo. In this imaginary World the Asteroid that wiped out most of the Dinosaurs 65 Million Years Ago Missed the Earth!
Consider Membership with the Museum. In addition to Supporting Their Valuable Work there are Benefits to You. Special Preview Events for Members Only as well as Virtual Access Exclusive for Members. For more information and access to general public eLearning check out the links below.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County www.nhm.org under Research & Collections / Digitized Collections will allow you to browse their Collections. Check out the latest Activities on their site.
The American Natural History Museum www.amnh.org You will find eLearning for Families, Students & Educators. Explore the Museum Virtually. Check Out SciCafe: Video Talks and Meet the Icons: Stories behind the Exhibits! There are Video Series covering Behind the Scenes at the Museum with Space & Dinosaur Explainers.
Chicago’s Field Museum www.fieldmuseum.org You can talk to “Maximo the Titanosaur” online, Yes Really! Visit Sue the largest T-Rex discovered! Check Out “Brain Scoop” with host Emily Graslie and the Learning Resources – many are also in Spanish.
Check Out Your Libraries eBooks. My local Library has over 900 eBooks on Dinosaurs! Many Libraries are offering “Curbside Pick-up. If you prefer the hardcopy, “Curbside Pick-up may be the option for you.
My First Book “Is a Metal Dinosaur the Right Pet for You?” is Available as an eBook on Kindle through Amazon.com
Only $3.99!
Included are two photos of Prehistoric Pals converted to black & white line drawings for You to express Your Color Imagination! Search online for print options on Your device. Print Screen, Cropping & Printing are available on many smart phones. Your smart phone may even allow You to email Your Print Screen to Yourself allowing even more options before printing. Kindle has an app for smart phones!
I would love to see Your Color Visions for Dominic & Raphael! Use crayons, pencils, pens, or watercolors! Attach feathers, glitter whatever brings them to life for You. Send a picture of Your Colorized Imaginations to: paul@paulsprehistoricpark.com It could be in a future post!
I will keep You posted with information on my Next eBook “The Shy Triceratops”. I hope to have Paperback versions available later in 2021.
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Please Remember to Wear Masks and Social Distance. Protect Yourself, Friends, Family & Everyone You Pass!
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“Encouraging the Appreciation of Art and Education through the Inspiration of Dinosaurs”
Paul & Prehistoric Pals
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