Ardetosaurus

Ardetosaurus Temporal range: Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian), 150.4–149.2 Ma[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Composite mounted skeleton, Oertijdmuseum
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	†Sauropodomorpha
Clade:	†Sauropoda
Superfamily:	†Diplodocoidea
Family:	†Diplodocidae
Subfamily:	†Diplodocinae
Genus:	†Ardetosaurus van der Linden et al., 2024
Species:	†A. viator
Binomial name
†Ardetosaurus viator van der Linden et al., 2024

Ardetosaurus is an extinct genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Morrison Formation of northern Wyoming, United States. The genus contains a single species, Ardetosaurus viator. It was first described in 2024 on the basis of a partial articulated skeleton, including vertebrae from the neck, back, and tail, hip bones, and part of the left hindlimb. The genus is a member of the Diplodocinae, a subfamily of large long-necked dinosaurs with whiplike tails. Ardetosaurus represents one of many distinct sauropod taxa that coexisted in this formation.

The Ardetosaurus holotype was collected in 1993 before being shipped to Switzerland, from which it was later sent to Germany, where it was damaged by a museum fire, and later the Netherlands, where it is now housed. It can be distinguished from other diplodocines based on a unique arrangement of laminae on its vertebrae.