Description and Classification

Moabosaurus was a large, four-legged plant-eating dinosaur, belonging to a group of sauropods called Turiasauria. This group also includes dinosaurs like Turiasaurus from Europe. While the most complete remains of Moabosaurus are from younger individuals, it is estimated that adults could have reached lengths of around 32 feet (9.75 meters), though some bones suggest even larger sizes. Like other sauropods, it had a long neck, a long tail, and a bulky body. Its teeth were spoon-shaped, suitable for stripping leaves from branches. Moabosaurus is classified within the sauropod family Turiasauridae, representing an early branch of this group found in North America.

Distinguishing Features

Moabosaurus had several unique features that help scientists tell it apart from other sauropods. These include:

• Neck ribs that were forked at the end.
• Neck bones (vertebrae) that had multiple small openings or windows in them.
• Low and flat joints connecting the neck bones, allowing for certain types of movement.
• Projections on the sides of its upper back bones that were divided.
• Very low bony spines sticking up from the vertebrae along its back.
• For a large sauropod, its limb bones were relatively slender.

Paleoenvironment and Diet

Fossils of Moabosaurus were found in the Yellow Cat Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation in Utah. During the Early Cretaceous, this area was a semi-dry environment with rivers that flowed seasonally and wide floodplains. Moabosaurus shared this ancient world with other dinosaurs, such as the fearsome predator Utahraptor, the armored dinosaur Gastonia, and other sauropods like Cedarosaurus and Venenosaurus. As a herbivore, Moabosaurus likely ate plants that were common in its habitat, such as conifers, cycads, and ferns. Its spoon-shaped teeth suggest it stripped leaves from branches rather than chewing tough material.

Significance and Ongoing Research

The discovery of Moabosaurus is important because it is one of the few turiasaurian sauropods found in North America, showing that this group was more widespread than previously thought. It also helps scientists understand the diversity of sauropods during the Early Cretaceous. The Dalton Wells Quarry, where Moabosaurus was found, contains a huge number of jumbled and sometimes broken bones from many individuals. This suggests a possible mass death event, perhaps caused by a drought where many animals gathered near a dwindling water source. Scientists continue to study Moabosaurus to learn more about its relationship to other sauropods, how it grew, and the ancient environment it lived in. Further research on the quarry itself helps paleontologists understand how these fossil deposits formed and what they can tell us about life in the Early Cretaceous period.