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Titanosaur
Titanosaurs (or titanosaurians; members of the group Titanosauria) were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, including genera from all seven continents. The titanosaurs were the last surviving group of long-necked sauropods, with taxa still thriving at the time of the extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous. This group includes some of the largest land animals known to have ever existed, such as '' Patagotitan''—estimated at long with a weight of —and the comparably-sized '' Argentinosaurus'' and ''Puertasaurus'' from the same region. The group's name alludes to the mythological Titans of ancient Greek mythology, via the type genus (now considered a '' nomen dubium)'' '' Titanosaurus''. Together with the brachiosaurids and relatives, titanosaurs make up the larger sauropod clade Titanosauriformes. Titanosaurs have long been a poorly-known group, and the relationships between titanosaur species are still not well-understood. Description Titanosauria have the lar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laplatasaurus
''Laplatasaurus'' (meaning "La Plata lizard", named for La Plata, Argentina) is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous in South America, with the holotype and only known specimen found in the Anacleto Formation. Naming and description The genus was named in 1927 by Friedrich von Huene, but without a description, so that it remained a ''nomen nudum''. In 1929 the type species, ''Laplatasaurus araukanicus'', was described by Huene. The generic name refers to La Plata. The specific name is derived from the ''Araucanos'' or Mapuche. By accident Huene in 1929 also mentioned a "Laplatasaurus wichmannianus" but that was a ''lapsus calami'' for ''Antarctosaurus wichmannianus''. In 1933 however, he and Charles Alfred Matley renamed ''Titanosaurus madagascariensis'' to ''Laplatasaurus madagascariensis''. This last species is today commonly referred to the original ''Titanosaurus''. Huene based ''Laplatasaurus'' on fragmentary material found in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dreadnoughtus
''Dreadnoughtus'' is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur containing a single species, ''Dreadnoughtus schrani''. ''D. schrani'' is known from two partial skeletons discovered in Upper Cretaceous (Campanian to Maastrichtian; approximately 76–70 Ma) rocks of the Cerro Fortaleza Formation in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. It is one of the largest terrestrial vertebrates known, with the immature type specimen reaching in total body length and possessing the greatest mass of any land animal that can be calculated with reasonable certainty. ''D. schrani'' is known from more complete skeletons than any other gigantic titanosaurian. Drexel University paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara, who discovered the species, chose the name ''Dreadnoughtus'', which means “fears nothing", stating “I think it’s time the herbivores get their due for being the toughest creatures in an environment." Discovery and study American palaeontologist Kenneth Lacovara discovered the remains in th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Iuticosaurus
''Iuticosaurus'' (meaning "Jute lizard") is a genus of titanosaur sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of the Isle of Wight. Two species have been named: ''I. valdensis'' and ''I. lydekkeri''. ''I. valdensis'' was found in the Wessex Formation and ''I. lydekkeri'' in the younger Upper Greensand. History and taxonomy In 1887 Richard Lydekker described two sauropod tail vertebrae found by William D. Fox near Brook Bay on Wight, BMNH R146a and BMNH 151, and referred them to the genus '' Ornithopsis'', despite indicating their similarity to '' Titanosaurus'' (noting them once as ''Titanosaurus'' species A and ''Titanosaurus'' species B), because the tail of ''Ornithopsis'' was unknown.Lydekker, R., 1887, "On certain dinosaurian vertebrae from the Cretaceous of India and the Isle of Wight", ''Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London'' 43: 157–160 On reading the paper to the Geological Society of London, Lydekker was criticised by Harry Govier Seeley and John ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Patagotitan
''Patagotitan'' is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Cerro Barcino Formation in Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina. The genus contains a single species known from multiple individuals: ''Patagotitan mayorum'', first announced in 2014 and then validly named in 2017 by José Carballido, Diego Pol, and colleagues. Contemporary studies estimated the length of the type specimen, a young adult, at with a weight estimated at , later revised to . Discovery Remains of ''Patagotitan mayorum'', a part of a lower thighbone, were initially discovered in 2008 by a farm laborer, Aurelio Hernández, in the desert near La Flecha, Argentina, about west of Trelew. Excavation was done by palaeontologists from the Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio. The lead scientists on the excavation were Jose Luis Carballido and Diego Pol, with partial funding from The Jurassic Foundation. Between January 2013 and February 2015, seven paleontological field expeditions were ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andesaurus
''Andesaurus'' ( ; "Andes lizard") is a genus of basal titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur which existed during the middle of the Cretaceous Period in South America. Like most sauropods, belonging to one of the largest animals ever to walk the Earth, it would have had a small head on the end of a long neck and an equally long tail. History of discovery In 1991, paleontologists Jorge Orlando Calvo and José Fernando Bonaparte named ''Andesaurus'', which refers to the Andes and also includes the Greek word ''sauros'' ("lizard"), because of the proximity of this animal's remains to the Andes. ''Andesaurus'' fossils were found by Alejandro Delgado, after whom the single known species (''A. delgadoi'') is named. The only known material of ''Andesaurus'' is a partial skeleton consisting of a series of four vertebrae from the lower back, as well as 27 tail vertebrae, divided up into two series from separate parts of the tail. The vertebrae from the middle part of its tail had elongated ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atacamatitan
''Atacamatitan'' (meaning "Atacama Desert titan") is a genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous period. Discovery and naming In February 2000, with the purpose of looking for Mesozoic fossils in Chile, Chilean and Brazilian researchers established a preliminary expedition that was organized by the Chilean National Museum of Natural History and the National Museum of Brazil heading to Antofagasta Region. During the expedition, they discovered the deposits of the Tolar Formation, located about 150 km north of Calama town and 50 km east from El Abra copper mine. The deposits of this formation consists of well-stratified, red succession of breccias, conglomerates and sandstones. In July 2001, a second expedition was organized and with this, the excavation of the formation. The results ended on the discovery of the holotype of ''Atacamatitan'': SGO-PV-961. The fossil remains were found in an outcrop surface of 2 m² near C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Choconsaurus
''Choconsaurus'' is an extinct genus of herbivorous sauropod dinosaur belonging to the group Titanosauriformes, which lived in the area of present-day Argentina at the end of the Cretaceous. Discovery and naming The holotype (specimen MMCh-PV 44/10) was found in Villa El Chocón in Neuquén province, Argentina by Viviana Moro before 1996. Subsequent field campaigns carried out by the Ernesto Bachmann Paleontological Museum and the Museum of Geology and Paleontology of the National University of Comahue between 1996 and 2002 discovered more remains pertaining to ''Choconsaurus'', with several of the specimens described by Calvo (1999) under "Titanosauridae indet.".Calvo, J.O. (1999). Dinosaurs and other vertebrates of the Lake Ezequiel Ramos Mexía Area, Neuquén, Patagonia, Argentina. ''National Museum Monographs'' 15: 13–45. In 2017, the species type ''Choconsaurus baileywillisi'' was named and described by Edith Simón, Leonardo Salgado and Jorge Orlando Calvo. The ge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hamititan
''Hamititan'' (meaning "Hami giant") is a genus of titanosaur sauropod dinosaur from the Shengjinkou Formation of Xinjiang, China. It contains one species, the type species, ''Hamititan xinjiangensis''. Discovery and naming In 2006, a Konservat-Lagerstätte was reported from the Shengjinkou Formation in the Hami region of Xinjiang, China. This consisted of lake sediments allowing for exceptional preservation of fossils. The same year, Qiu Zhanxiang and Wang Banyue started official excavations. Among the excavated fossils were seven caudal vertebrae with three chevrons preserved. These were established as the holotype (HM V22) of the new sauropod taxon, ''Hamititan''. Four sacral elements, specimen IVPP V27875, were not referred. A theropod tooth was found near the sixth caudal vertebra of the holotype. It is likely that this theropod preyed on the holotype shortly after it died. The generic name refers to the city of Hami, where the holotype was found, while the specific name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adamantisaurus
''Adamantisaurus'' ( ) is a poorly-known genus of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now South America. It is only known from six tail vertebrae but, as a sauropod, it can be assumed that this dinosaur was a very large animal with a long neck and tail. Like many titanosaurians, ''Adamantisaurus'' is incompletely known, making its exact relationships difficult to establish. However, similarities have been noted with '' Aeolosaurus'' and the Bauru Group titanosaurian formerly known as the "Peiropolis titanosaur", now called ''Trigonosaurus''. Description As ''Adamantisaurus mezzalirai'' is only known from the anterior portion of the tail, relatively little is known about the anatomy of this species. It was probably a medium-sized titanosaur. In 2010 Gregory S. Paul estimated it to be roughly 13 meters (43 ft) long and 5 tonnes (5.5 short tons) in weight . However, in 2020 Molina-Pérez and Larramendi gave a larger estimation of 18 meters ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aegyptosaurus
''Aegyptosaurus'' (meaning 'Egypt's lizard') is a genus of sauropod dinosaur that lived in what is now Africa, around 95 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous Period ( Cenomanian faunal stage). Discovery and naming The holotype (1912VIII61) consists of three caudal vertebrae, a partial scapula, and some limb bones, all of which were discovered in the Bahariya Formation of Egypt between 1910 and by Ernst Stromer and Richard Markgraf and the holotype was sent to Munich, Germany in 1915 to be studied at the same time the holotype of '' Spinosaurus aegyptiacus'' was described. ''Aegyptosaurus'' was described by German paleontologist Ernst Stromer in 1932, seventeen years after the holotype was sent to Munich,Stromer, E. (1932a) Ergebnisse der Forschungsreisen Prof. E. Stromers in den Wüsten Ägyptens. II. Wirbeltierreste der Baharîje-Stufe (unterstes Cenoman). 11. Sauropoda.''Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Mathematisch-naturwissenschaf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Angolatitan
''Angolatitan'' (meaning "Angolan giant") is a genus of titanosauriform sauropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous. It is also the first non-avian dinosaur discovered in Angola. The genus contains a single species, ''Angolatitan adamastor'', known from a partial right forelimb. ''Angolatitan'' was a relict form of its time; it was a Late Cretaceous basal titanosauriform, when more derived titanosaurs were far more common. Discovery and naming After the Angolan Civil War ended in 2002, the PaleoAngola project planned the first Angolan palaeontological expeditions since the 1960s. The first of these expeditions started in 2005 to explore Angola's fossil rich upper Cretaceous rocks, leading to the discovery of ''Angolatitan''. The discovery was made by Octávio Mateus on May the 25 near Iembe in the province of Bengo, and excavations were conducted during May and August 2006. ''Angolatitan'' was described by Octávio Mateus and colleagues in 2011. The generic name means "Angol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arackar
''Arackar'' (meaning "skeleton" in Kunza) is an extinct genus of lithostrotian sauropod, possibly part of the Saltasauridae, discovered in the Hornitos Formation of Atacama Province, Chile. The genus contains a single species, ''Arackar licanantay'', described by Rubilar-Rogers ''et al.'' in 2021. Discovery and naming The holotype was discovered in 1993 at Quebrada La Higuera, approximately 75 km (47 mi) south of Copiapó. The fossil material was briefly mentioned by Rubilar-Rogers & Gutstein in 2012 and was found to not be referable to the genus ''Atacamatitan''. In 2021, ''Arackar licanantay'' was named and described by David Rubilar-Rogers, Alexander O. Vargas, Bernardo González Riga, Sergio Soto-Acuña, Jhonatan Alarcón-Muñoz, José Iriarte-Díaz, Carlos Arévalo and Carolina S. Gutstein. The holotype, SNGM-1, was found in a layer of the Hornitos Formation in Chile that dates back to the Late Cretaceous period ( Campanian-Maastrichtian stages). It includes vertebrae of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
