Saltasaurus

Saltasaurus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 70–68 Ma
Life restoration
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Sauropodomorpha
Clade: Sauropoda
Clade: Macronaria
Clade: Titanosauria
Family: Saltasauridae
Genus: Saltasaurus
Bonaparte & Powell, 1980
Species:
S. loricatus
Binomial name
Saltasaurus loricatus
Bonaparte & Powell, 1980
Synonyms

Saltasaurus (which means "lizard from Salta") is a genus of saltasaurid dinosaur of the Late Cretaceous period of Argentina. Small among sauropods, though still heavy by the standards of modern creatures, Saltasaurus was characterized by a short neck and stubby limbs. It was the first genus of sauropod known to possess armour of bony plates embedded in its skin. Such small bony plates, called osteoderms, have since been found on other titanosaurians.