Jurassic
Mussaurus
Mussaurus patagonicus
The catalogue presents Mussaurus as a herbivore member of Massospondylidae that lived during the Jurassic, between 192.8 Ma. Its estimated range is 3.0 m in length and 70 kg in mass, giving a practical sense of scale. Reference material comes from Laguna Colorada Formation, Santa Cruz, Argentina. Size and mass are approximations and may change with new fossils or methods.
Evidence-backed summary
For Mussaurus, the PBDB records the taxonomic attribution as Bonaparte and Vince (1979).
The PBDB places it in Sauropodiformes, and the catalogue record assigns it to the family Massospondylidae.
- PBDB · taxon.parent
- Massospondylidae
In the PBDB record, the reported stratigraphic range is the Sinemurian.
The PBDB catalogues 2 occurrences, with material from the Laguna Colorada Formation (2). Provenance: Argentina.
The catalogue records the holotype as PVL 4068 and the type locality as “Laguna Colorada Formation, Santa Cruz, Argentina”.
- PVL 4068
- Laguna Colorada Formation, Santa Cruz, Argentina
The catalogue's reference measurements are 3.0 m in length and 70 kg in mass — estimates, which vary with specimen and method.
- 3.0 m
- 70 kg
The record gathers 8 bibliographic references registered in the PBDB, listed below.
Where it lived
Fossil occurrences on today’s map and in the tectonic reconstruction.
Positions reconstructed by PBDB/GPlates, not observed; this is not an exact habitat map.
Artistic 3D reconstruction
There is no approved species-specific 3D model yet. Generic anatomy will not be presented as if it were evidence.
Physical Specifications
- Length
- 3.0 m
- Weight
- 70 kg
- Period
- Jurassic
- Time range
- 192.8 Ma
Discovery Information
- First Discovery
- 1979
- Described by
- José Bonaparte
Taxonomic Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Saurischia
- Family
- Massospondylidae
- Genus
- Mussaurus
- Species
- M. patagonicus
Data status
Taxonomic name matched to PBDB and checked on 2026-08-08.
Taxonomic linkage does not automatically validate size, mass, behaviour or appearance.
- Type specimen
- PVL 4068
- Type locality
- Laguna Colorada Formation, Santa Cruz, Argentina