Melanorosaurus (me-LAN-or-o-SAWR-us)
A Late Triassic quadrupedal herbivore from Cape Province, South Africa. The melanorosaurid fossil record is sketchy: Melanorosaurus is known from only a collection of large limb bones found in South Africa. These suggest a large, heavily built dinosaur that walked on all fours. Other melanorosaurid finds suggest that Melanorosaurus had a relatively small head, with a long neck and tail. Melanorosaurus and its close relative Riojasaurus could feed from the treetops without much competition. Their large size may also have represented an early attempt to use bulk as protection against large carnivorous dinosaurs.
[Greek melanos "black", oros "mountain", sauros "lizard")
Length: 14ft (12.2.m)
Weight: Unknown (over 1 ton)
Time: 227-205 Million Years Ago