Aeolosaurus was a large titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur that lived in South America

during the late Cretaceous period, approximately 83 to 66 million years ago. As a

sauropod, it walked on four sturdy legs and had a long neck and tail to support its
massive plant-eating body. Though no skull remains have been found, Aeolosaurus
could reach lengths of over 18 meters, making it one of the larger dinosaurs that
roamed what is now Patagonia during the Late Cretaceous. Aeolosaurus lived in a
diverse environment alongside horned dinosaurs like Ceratopsians, duckbilled
hadrosaurs, and ankylosaurs. Using its column-like legs and whip-like tail for
balance, this massive herbivore fed on abundant plant life stretched high into the
forests and lowland plains with its flexible neck.

The fossils of Aeolosaurus that have been unearthed provide insights into its
anatomy and lifestyle. Skeletal remains indicate Aeolosaurus had thick, heavy bones
like those of the contemporaneous titanosaur Saltasaurus. This bulkiness suggests
Aeolosaurus was a bull-like titanosaur adapted for strength over speed. Its
vertebrae have distinctive features that paleontologists use to identify the genus,
such as downward-curving neck vertebrae and chevrons on its tail vertebrae with
double articulation surfaces. Preserved limb bones show Aeolosaurus had small hands
and hoof-like claws, an adaptation common among advanced titanosaurs for consuming
vegetation rather than grasping. Osteoderms or bony plates found associated with
some specimens indicate like many lithostrotian titanosaurs, Aeolosaurus' body may
have been protected by armor.

Multiple species and specimens of Aeolosaurus have been identified across both
spatially and temporally. The type species A. rionegrinus is known from the
Angostura Colorada Formation in Argentina dating to around 83-74 million years ago.
A. colhuehuapensis is represented by vertebrae from slightly younger strata. A
third proposed species, A. maximus, is now considered to belong to the distinct
genus Arrudatitan. Additional specimens uncovered from sites in Argentina over
billions of years have been referred to Aeolosaurus, though some uncertainty
remains around whether they represent new species awaiting description. A single
vertebra from Brazil links Aeolosaurus to occurrences outside Argentina. Overall,
Aeolosaurus proves to be one of the more completely known titanosaurs based on the
multiple fossils providing data on its anatomy, taxonomy, and palaeoecology during
the late Cretaceous in Gondwana. Further discoveries may yet continue expanding our
understanding of this giant plant-eating dinosaur.