Magyarosaurus dacus, M. hungaricus, M. transsylvanicus
Name: Magyarosaurus dacus, M. hungaricus, M. transsylvanicus
Name Meaning: Magyar Reptile
First Described: 1932
Described By: von Huene
Classification: Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Plateosauria, Massopoda, Sauropodiformes, Anchisauria, Sauropoda, Gravisauria, Eusauropoda, Neosauropoda, Macronaria, Titanosauriformes, Somphospondyli, Titanosauria
Magyarosaurus was a sauropod from the Hateg Basin in Romania, aka, the land of dinosaur island dwarfism that is quite famous - and Magyarosaurus is no exception. It lived in the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous, about 70 to 66 million years ago. It is known from multiple individuals and, due to island dwarfism, was the smallest titanosaur and one of the smallest sauropods, at only about 6 meters long and only about as tall as a person. So if for whatever reason you want a puppy sized sauropod as a pet, this is the closest you’re going to get.
It is known from about 10 individuals, and perhaps more, and was preyed on by large pterosaurs such as Hatzegopteryx. The phenomenon of island dwarfism lead the adult individuals to retain a lot of juvenile characteristics, but the histology revealed these individuals to be adult ones, with a reduced growth rate and high metabolic rate. Still, I don’t blame previous scientists for having trouble believing in a world where this was possible:
Source: Mark Witton
Osteoderms have been found associated with Magyarosaurus with strange in shape and size, and eggs have also been found that may be that of Magyarosaurus, with the Hateg Basin serving as a nesting place in the Late Cretaceous. One of the embryos preserved inside the egg shows evidence of armouring. It lived alongside many other dinosaurs such as Telmatosaurus, Struthiosaurus, Balaur, Bradycneme, Elopteryx, and Zalmoxes.
Shout out goes to @chetos11!